- Wednesday, July 03, 2024
This year, the theme for the celebration of the National Doctor’s Day is “Healing Hands, Caring Hearts”.
By: Shubham Ghosh
ON July 1 every year, India observes National Doctor’s Day to express gratitude for the precious contributions that doctors across the country make to ensure the community’s good health. On this day, physicians are saluted and greeted for their tireless efforts, particularly during times like the COVID-19 pandemic, when they risked their own lives and sometimes even lost them while protecting others.
While the Doctor’s Day is celebrated on different dates across the world, India has chosen the first day of the month of July to commemorate Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, a renowned doctor-politician, who was born on that date in 1882 in present-day Patna in the then Bengal presidency. Dr Roy, who was the first chief minister (formally second) of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, was a respected physician, and has also been conferred the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award.
Dr Roy, who went to Britain in 1909 and studied at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, was a member of the Royal College of Physicians and a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons.
The doctor was also the first president of Cardiological Society of India between 1948 and 1950 and the personal doctor of Mahatma Gandhi, the iconic Indian freedom movement leader.
The politician in Dr Roy became the premier of West Bengal in 1948 and continued till 1950 in that post. That year, after the Indian Constitution was promulgated, the premier’s post was replaced by that of the chief minister and Dr Roy became the first chief minister of Bengal (he was preceded by Prafulla Chandra Ghosh as the premier).
The Indian government decided to mark the birthday of Dr Roy as the National Doctor’s Day in 1991 to remember his invaluable contributions to the field of medicine. Dr Roy also passed away on July 1, the date of his birth, in Kolkata (then Calcutta) in Bengal, in 1862 at the age of 80, which makes the date even befitting. Throughout his life, Dr Roy made efforts to improve India’s healthcare infrastructure.
This year, the theme for the celebration of the National Doctor’s Day is “Healing Hands, Caring Hearts”.
It emphasises the dedication, compassion, and empathy that doctors bring to their medical practice, highlighting their significant role in saving and improving lives.
Prime minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings on the occasion on Monday on X and said, “Greetings on Doctors Day. This is a day to honour the incredible dedication and compassion of our healthcare heroes. They can navigate the most challenging complexities with remarkable skill. Our Government is fully committed to improving the health infrastructure in India and ensuring doctors get the widespread respect they deserve.”
