Celebrating Resilience and Healing Hands

A Little History Behind This Special Day!

We celebrate National Doctor’s Day on July 1st, the birth anniversary of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, former Chief Minister of West Bengal and a renowned doctor. Dr Roy made significant contributions to public healthcare during his lifetime. The government of India declared his birthday as National Doctor’s Day to commemorate his service and honour physicians all over the country.

The theme of 2023 National Doctor’s Day is “Celebrating Resilience and Healing Hands.” There cannot be a more appropriate theme to honour physicians in my opinion.

Changing & Challenging Times

A tireless career involving public healthcare service deserves rightful acknowledgement and gratitude. We have just passed challenging times, the likes of which humanity has not seen in the last hundred years.

And the ones who stood in the front lines this time were healthcare professionals. The crucial position they hold in balancing society came under the spotlight in these turbulent times.

For almost 2 years, everyone in the world depended on a profession with limited staff and resources. I think now, we can say with absolute certainty that they came through stronger than ever.

The pandemic has changed everyone’s perspective in one way or the other. For us, doctors, it has been an epiphany. What the doctors looked at all these years through the eyes of Western medicine has changed its form. Healthcare fell from its throne head-first into unknown depths for the first time in decades.

Resilience and Healing Hands

While on that landslide, a majority of the world expected to see the physicians fail. But they didn’t know this breed of humans. Physicians are not born but forged in silence to endure and yet empathise all the same.

This day serves as a platform to create awareness about the significance of doctors, their selfless service, and the crucial role they play in improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities. During the pandemic, the world saw through a magnifying glass what was usually a regular day in a doctor’s life - endless patients, pain, sleeplessness, hospital-acquired infections, providing care with the resources available and the struggle to make required resources accessible on time.

The world watched the medical fraternity’s unwavering commitment, tireless efforts and dedication to saving lives, promoting health, and providing medical care to those in need.

So, this day, in particular, serves as an occasion to raise awareness and address challenges faced by the medical community.

Heroes or Humans?

Doctors have long been held in high regard, often seen as heroes in society due to their role in saving lives and alleviating suffering. The public's perception of doctors as saviors does bring a sense of pride and purpose to those practising the profession.

No one hates being glorified. But, under all this glorification lies a complex reality that never really makes it to the light. And even if it does, the hero-worshipping probably works against them to get much-needed aid.

There is a price to pay for glory of any kind. Saving lives is not to be taken lightly. It is a huge responsibility for anyone to hold in their hands. The success could go to your head or its failure will crush your soul.

The Burden of Expectation

Doctors are generally expected to possess exceptional knowledge and skills as they are entrusted with the well-being of their patients. It is not a bad thing considering the responsibility they are handed.

However, there is immense pressure that comes with the weight of this responsibility. Everyone seems to forget that doctors are regular humans and they too can burn out . Their mental health deteriorates and, unlike others who have the luxury of taking a day off, doctors internalize the anxiety and pressure to always be available and hold the guilt of shirking from responsibility.?

Physical and Mental Health Toll

The demanding nature of the profession takes a toll on the health of doctors. Long hours, sleep deprivation, and high-stress levels are persistent issues. Studies have shown that doctors have a higher risk of cardiac conditions and mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and even suicide. Chronic fatigue, musculoskeletal problems, spine problems and compromised immune systems are some other commonly faced health issues among doctors.

Lack of Work-Life Balance

Reasonable working hours, adequate rest breaks, and a supportive work environment are stuff that dreams are made of for doctors.

The expectation to be available round-the-clock along with the ingrained habit of “not missing out on cases” seeded from the graduate days early on have erased the lines of boundaries.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial to recognise the vulnerability of doctors as humans. It is high time everyone looks at doctors as people with physical and emotional limits rather than as infallible Synthezoids* programmed to perfection.

*Synthezoid reference from Marvel Comics - Not related to medicine in any form or fashion

Professional success more often than not affects or completely kills your personal life. Disrupted personal lives, chaotic schedules and strained relationships are by-products of the medical profession. No one even blinks at them anymore.

Harsh Truths

Students suicide unable to handle the stress from parents, society and coaching centers when they are preparing for their entrance exams;

Students suicide every year because they did not get that coveted medical seat;

Once they enter a medical college, they suicide unable to handle the pressure and stress of excelling at everything, all the time;

Even worse, after graduating, doctors are still dying .

The situation is bad enough for people to publish research papers. But when will it become bad enough to establish help desks and intervention groups at schools and colleges? It should be pretty obvious that people in one of the most stressful professions in the world will require the most help in dealing with it.

Treating Doctors as Humans Before Heroes

Just because they are resilient does not mean they cannot be broken. As a realist, I don’t expect policies and government to change overnight. As a doctor, I also know the first step towards change comes from within. Our health is in our hands.

On this day, from this year on, let us make solemn oaths to each other - as doctors to doctors and as people to people.

Seeing a colleague suffer, we shall not pass it off as work stress any more.

Seeing a classmate cry on the evening of the internal exam, we shall not ignore it any more.

Seeing a teen struggle with anxiety from entrance exams, we shall not push them in the guise of encouragement any more.

Let us take care of each other as we were meant to. Let us foster a system that values people instead of idolizing them.

Janani Arvind Credits