In 1945, the city of Kolkata in West Bengal faced a severe cholera epidemic, which infected thousands of people. At the time, West Bengal's Chief Minister was Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy aka BC Roy, who was also a distinguished physician. Along with the available healthcare professionals and volunteers, Dr Roy acted swiftly and began attending to patients as well.
He organised relief efforts, launched extensive awareness campaigns, worked to ensure clean water and waste disposal in the city, organised medical supplies and food distribution initiatives and also deployed teams to areas that needed urgent help. He has also served jail terms during the period of the Indian independence struggle. To recognise his efforts, the Indian government decided to celebrate his birthday, which falls on July 1, as the National Doctors Day from 1991.
The day is considered an occasion to appreciate the work of doctors and events are held across the country to recognise their achievements. At the same time, it is also important to understand the toll it takes on those who pick the medical profession as a career path How does the profession affect doctors? The intense and prolonged exposure to human suffering and the challenges of saving lives can have severe psychological implications for doctors. Drawing parallels with the mental health issues experienced by soldiers in World War I, medical practitioners frequently develop conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety.
