Doctors’ day is celebrated annually on 1st July to commemorate the life of Dr. B.C. Roy, Bharat Ratna awardee, legendary physician, philanthropist, educationist and one of the longest serving Chief Ministers of India. It is a matter of pleasant coincidence that precisely 35 years ago (1991), I graduated to become a doctor – the very year when India commenced celebrating Doctors Day! As a recipient of Dr. B.C. Roy National award 9 years ago (2016), which is the highest recognition that can be achieved by a doctor practicing in India, this day is even more special to me.
This is a significant day to acknowledge extraordinary commitment and relentless dedication of the medical fraternity. Over the years, due to various reasons, there has been a rapid decline in the mutual trust between doctor & patient. It is imperative for both patients and doctors to work together at re-establishing some of the lost trust, and truly, there could be no better day than Doctors’ Day to reinforce this unique relationship.
There is an ancient sanskrit phrase “Vaidyo Narayano Hari” which means doctor is Lord Narayana and Lord Hari himself. In some regions, particularly in rural India, the doctor is equated with ‘god’. Patients trust and place their lives in the hands of their doctor. On many occasions, they disclose confidential information, which may not be in purview of even a close family member. Furthermore, they expose their body for examination and allow themselves to be operated upon. In no other profession, one gets to experience this level of trust and faith, on a daily basis. It is for this very reason that a doctor is duty bound to have a higher level of moral code of conduct and must understand that he/she is in a very privileged position.
Doctors must be role models in the society. Although Ethics has an established place in Medical Curriculum throughout the Western World, it was not even part of Indian Medical Curriculum until recently. However, in 2019, National Medical Commission included Medical Ethics in the new Competency Based Medical Education curriculum (CBME). “Attitude, Ethics and Communication” (AETCOM) module aims to inculcate the knowledge, attitudes and values that are essential for a Doctor.
Apart from Medical Ethics, no matter how intelligent, knowledgeable and skilled one may be, it is vitally important to be ethical in every aspect of life, without which none of our achievements will have any relevance. So, being a good human being is most important. There’s a lot of opportunity in this area, with very little competition!
The practice of art & science of Medicine/Surgery is not meant to be a “rat-race”. There is much more to life than just being a doctor. When I say this, I don’t mean taking up a hobby. It is much more significant than that and relates to passionately getting involved in meaningful activities that benefits the Community. Creating the much-needed awareness about importance of ‘early detection’ through an innovative & impactful breast cancer advocacy campaign for close to two decades in addition to spearheading life transforming charitable initiatives through personal philanthropy in my adopted village (Ibrahimpur) has given me the greatest satisfaction. Above all, Meditation, expressing gratitude & being prayerful – have all enabled me to manifest my dreams, which has enriched my life in many ways.
In closing, I could not think of a more apt prayer to echo on this auspicious day which was penned by Sir Robert Hutchison, a legendary Physician in 1953. What he said some 70 years ago remains relevant even today. “From inability to leave well alone; From too much zeal for what is new and contempt for what is old; From putting knowledge before wisdom, Science before art, Cleverness before common sense; From treating patients as cases; And from making the cure of a disease more grievous than its endurance, Good Lord, deliver us”.
(Dr. P. Raghu Ram, Padma Shri & Dr B.C Roy Awardee, Founding Director, KIMS-USHALAKSHMI Centre for Breast Diseases, Hyderabad, India)
