National Doctor's Day 2021

They are the only people who didn't get to work from home during the pandemic. 

They are the only people who valued the health of their patients more than themselves.

They are the only people who have had no strict working hours for the last 1.5 years.

They are doctors.

India celebrates National Doctor's Day on 1st July every year. The day is observed in memory of renowned Indian physician Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (1882-1962). He was an educationist, a humanitarian and a freedom fighter. He had also served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1948 to 1962. 

Doctors have been the only go to persons since the outbreak of the pandemic. They have been there, struggling to save us, struggling to save the world. We all have viewed and shared heartbreaking images of doctors, nurses, medical practitioners and health workers on different social media platforms. We all have heard real stories about doctors saving the lives of the Covid-19 patients. 

Donning PPE kits, spending the nights in the corridors of the hospitals, rushing and trying to ease out the conditions of patients gasping for breath...the doctors have seen and experienced them all. They've been our saviours throughout this tenure of pandemic which is continuing even today. 

We have sympathized with them but at times, we have criticized and ridiculed them too! With every rise in the number of Covid-19 patients, we have shrugged our shoulders and blamed it on their negligence. We have protested against them and their actions. And at times, we have been violent too.

Have we forgotten the very basic fact that they're human beings too?

Have we forgotten that they too can experience burnout due to the unending pressure of saving the lives of millions?

Have we forgotten that their mental state have also gone for a toss seeing the sufferings and deaths of so many patients in front of them?

No matter what battles they fought in their personal lives, what their health conditions were, what troubles they went through; they remained truly committed to their work and dedicated their lives to the cause of protecting the humanity.

On this day, let us salute this fraternity and thank the doctors for everything they have done and are still doing to reward us with the precious gift called life. Rather than finding faults with them and their treatments, let us take a moment to be grateful to them. Let us help them to help us.