National Doctor’s Day 2020: Remembering Medics Working Round The Clock During COVID-19 Pandemic

The day was established in 1991 in India, and it was marked on July 1 as an honour to Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy.

Ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, apart from prayers, people have been reaching out more and more to doctors. And as the months go by and cases of infection pile up, doctors have been working round the clock to ensure that patients get the best medical care. These doctors have been putting their own lives at risk and sacrificing family life to ensure the safety of all. So on National Doctor’s Day, which is marked on July 1 in India, we remember these heroes who work to save lives.

National Doctor’s Day was established in the year 1991 in India, and it was marked on July 1 as an honour to Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, a renowned physician, whose birth and death anniversary falls on that date. This year, due to the coronavirus, the usual celebration will not be held, but if it is, it would be on the work doctors have been doing from the start of the pandemic.

When the pandemic started not many countries were ready to face it, and in India there was shortage of not only personal protection equipment but doctors as well. Doctors and nurses and other healthcare providers are at the frontline of this deadly pandemic, and if they do not have proper equipment they are putting their lives at risk.

According to scroll.in, there were reports that some doctors did not get their salaries and others faced salary cuts, which led to the medics threatening to resign. It is disheartening, to say the least, that on top of having to deal with a risky infection, they also have to worry about their livelihoods.

With the shortage in medical workers, most have had to do double and triple shifts and often for 24 hours or more, wearing their protective gear the whole time. They miss out on family life due to the time they have to spend in hospitals. And for some, going home means saying hello to their wife or children from the gate so as to prevent infection.

And while it is nice to bang pots and pans and clap for them from the confines of the home as a sign of appreciation, we also need to remember that they are human beings just like everyone else.