Anuska Sen, Team BioXone
When famous psychologist Carl Jung said, “Medicines cure diseases, but only doctors can cure patients”, he was indeed correct. A doctor is a person who serves much more than his/her profession demands. He places his patients’ life ahead of his own, does endless overtime hours, takes endless calls during his rest time, and rushes to the hospital in an emergency. On the 1st of July each year, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) organizes the “National Doctors’ Day” to pay a special tribute to our doctors all over the world.
Why is it celebrated on 1st July?
July 1 marks two special events in the medical history of India. It is both the birth anniversary and death anniversary of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (1882-1962). Dr. Roy was an eminent personality in Indian history (a freedom fighter), politics, and academics. He was the second chief minister of West Bengal and served a long tenure of about 14 years until his demise (1948-1962). He also played a significant role in the establishment of two prime bodies in Indian medical history- MCI (Medical Council of India) and IMA (Indian Medical Association).
In those times, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy was one of those very few people to have received two prestigious medical degrees simultaneously. The degrees were the F.R.C.S. (Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons) and the M.R.C.P. (Membership of the Royal College of Physicians). Thus, as a tribute to Dr. Roy’s selfless service to society, The Government of India declared 1st June to be celebrated as National Doctors’ Day. The day was commemorated for the first time in 1991. Thereafter, July 1 is celebrated each year as National Doctors’ Day in India. The day also aims at acknowledging the critical role played by doctors in the progress of our country.
Role of doctors in society:
Doctors are one of the most indispensable parts of our society. They are the ones principally responsible for our physical and mental well-being. Starting from the very first event of our lives (birth) till the ultimate event (death), we require certification by doctors – birth and death certificates. They are an integral part of various aspects of our survival, (i) saving lives (ii) extending lives, and (iii) improving lives.
The current pandemic situation has made all of us rethink the contributions of doctors to society. While the whole world was locked up in their homes, saving themselves from the life-threatening coronavirus, our doctors worked tirelessly at the hospitals and safe homes, continuously risking their lives. They prioritized us over their own life and family. The world has witnessed one Covid wave after another, and we never know how many of them are ahead of us. However, the selfless dedication and services of the doctors and other medical staff have made it possible for the world to fight this pandemic.
Our responsibility towards doctors:
Keeping in mind the tireless efforts of doctors to our society, it is a responsibility for all of us to take care of our doctors. Paying their fees for the service is by no way a means to pay back for their services. The two cannot be compared at all, money can’t buy it all. We need to show respect and concern towards them.
The past few decades have witnessed innumerable cases of injustice and violence towards doctors. The last year brought up several matters of injustice via social media platforms. There were multiple cases where doctors and nurses who stayed on rents were denied shelter. People feared they would contract Covid from them.
The death of a patient or any other undesirable situation often gives rise to unparliamentary issues such as verbal abuse and aggressive gestures towards doctors. It should be understood by all that whatever might be the case, there is a law for that; whoever is at fault will be punished by law. Physical violence against doctors and medical staff is an undesirable event in any civilized society. Thus, it is quite rightly said:
“When the white coat turns red, the society turns black”
Also read: A special chloroplast protein to combat environmental stress
References:
- Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy- A legendary figure: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/my-view/bidhan-chandra-roy-a-legendary-figure-4392/
- Ghosh K. (2018). Violence against doctors: A wake-up call. The Indian journal of medical research, 148(2), 130–133. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1299_17
- The in-text image of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy has been taken from India Netzone: https://www.indianetzone.com/61/bidhan_chandra_roy.htm
About author:
Anuska Sen is one of the directors of BIOXONE BIOSCIENCES PVT. LTD. She is also the Subject-Matter Expert (SME) of the “BiotechToday” section in the BioXone.in website. She has completed her Bachelors (B.Sc. Hons.) in Biotechnology. Although the research domains she is involved in are primarily plant biotechnology and molecular biology, she has keen interest in various other bioscience subjects as well.
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anuska-sen-b688231b8/
Publications:
- At Plant Gene Journal of Elsevier: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plgene.2021.100281
- Few of her publications at BioXone are:
- https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/world-tb-day-2021-lets-end-tb-the-clock-is-ticking/
- https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/earth-day-2021-lets-restore-our-earth/
- https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/you-could-be-at-greater-covid-risk-if-you-have-neanderthal-genes/
- The Corrosion Prediction from the Corrosion Product Performance
- Nitrogen Resilience in Waterlogged Soybean plants
- Cell Senescence in Type II Diabetes: Therapeutic Potential
- Transgene-Free Canker-Resistant Citrus sinensis with Cas12/RNP
- AI Literacy in Early Childhood Education: Challenges and Opportunities
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