History of ‘National Doctors’ Day’, what is the importance of this day

Amid the pandemic, while India is still battling the deadly virus, our frontline warriors are fighting to save our lives, and our doctors are one of those heroes. There is no better day than today to express our gratitude to our doctors because today is celebrated as ‘Doctors Day’.

July 1 is celebrated as ‘National Doctors’ Day’ by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The day is observed in the memory of the eminent and internationally renowned physician, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, who served as a physician, a freedom fighter, an educationist and a statesman.

History
The day was first observed in the year 1991 to honor former Chief Minister of Bengal Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy for his contribution in the service of humanity. Dr Roy was an exemplary and eminent doctor who made a great contribution to the medical fraternity in his medical career. He was born on July 1, 1882 and died on the same date in 1962.

He was also awarded the Bharat Ratna on 4 February 1961. He played a major role in the establishment of medical institutions like Jadavpur TB. Hospital, Chittaranjan Seva Sadan, Kamala Nehru Memorial Hospital, Victoria Institution (College), Chittaranjan Cancer Hospital and Chittaranjan Seva Sadan for women and children. He was also noted as the first medical consultant in the subcontinent of India by the British Medical Journal who was more successful and dedicated than his contemporaries in many fields.

Importance of this day
We celebrate this day to express our gratitude to our doctors, who work day and night to ensure our well being. In this critical pandemic situation, it is even more necessary to thank them for working round the clock to save our lives. They decided to serve the country by forgetting their families. Salute to his passion and dedication that he continued to work tirelessly in the hour of crisis by risking his life and saved millions of people from this pandemic.

Also read in Hindi: Doctors Day 2021: जानिए! ‘डाॅक्टर्स डे’ का इतिहास और क्या है इस दिन का महत्व