National Doctors’ Day 2015 Celebrates the Contributions of Medical Practitioners in India

Established by the Indian government in 1991, National Doctors’ Day is an annual celebration that honors the contributions on medical practitioners in India.

National Doctors’ Day is celebrated in India to create awareness on the roles, contributions and responsibilities of doctors. The day reminds medical professionals to dedicate themselves to treat the poor and vulnerable, and also uphold the legal and moral ethics of their profession.

History of National Doctors’ Day

Honor a physician with the honor due unto him for the uses which ye may have of him: for the Lord hath created him. - Ecclesiasticus 38:1

Established by the Government of India in 1991, National Doctors’ Day is celebrated in the memory of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, a well-known physician and second Chief Minister of West Bengal, who was born on July 1, and also breathed his last on the same day.

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July 1st, is celebrated in India as Doctors day. This is also the birth anniversary of the exemplary physician the world knows as Dr B.C Roy, who has left his footprints on the sands of time.

Dr. B.C. Roy was honored with Bharat Ratna (highest Indian civilian award) on February 4, 1961.

He was born on July 1, 1882, in Patna (Bihar). After he completed medical graduation from Calcutta, Dr. Roy was one of the few people who went to London and completed M.R.C.P and F.R.C.S degrees in less than three years. In 1911, he returned to India and began his career as a physician. Several years later, Dr.Roy joined the Calcutta Medical College as a professor. Later, he moved on to Campbell Medical School and then to Carmichael Medical College.

Dr. Roy was a most famous physician, renowned educationist and also a freedom fighter. His entry, though unplanned at the time, was through his participation in Mahatma Gandhi’s Civil Disobedience Movement. Eventually, he was elected as the leader of the Indian National Congress and then, became the Chief Minister of the West Bengal.

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Dr. Roy passed away on his birthday – July 1, 1962, leaving an 80-year legacy of great service. In honor of his contributions, the Indian government instituted the Dr. B.C. Roy National Award in 1976.

How National Doctors’ Day Is Celebrated

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With over a billion people in the country, India’s healthcare system will come to standstill without its doctors. The annual celebration of National Doctors’ Day is a way of saying ‘Thank You’ to the medical community and to applaud their service.

On National Doctors’ Day, healthcare workers at different healthcare organizations across the country organize a variety of events and activities. Rotary Club of North Calcutta and North East Calcutta Social & Welfare Organization organizes a big event every year for the grand celebration on National Doctors Day.

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Workshops are conducted on the various aspects of medical profession such as health check-up, prevention, diagnosis, proper treatment of the disease and so on. The event also promotes rotational medical services by doctors. Camps offer free medical checkup and a general screening test at many health centers and public places, health counseling and nutrition talks are given for free and small awareness campaigns are conducted among poor people and senior citizens on chronic diseases. These camps also offer free blood test, random blood sugar test, ECG, EEG, blood pressure checkup, etc.

School and colleges also conduct debates, discussions and quiz competitions on various medical topics. They come up with new educational strategies in the medical profession and find many creative ways to implement them.

On July 1, doctors are flooded with greeting cards, appreciation cards, e-cards, flowers, greeting messages through the mails, etc. Special meetings, parties and dinner get-togethers are organized at the health centers, hospitals and nursing homes to commemorate importance of National Doctors’ Day.

Source-Medindia