Friday, 02 July 2021 | Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
GUEST COLUMN
Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
The world is fighting and undergoing a crisis for more than a year now. Globally, the count of sick and departed souls mounts higher everyday. We are all physically living in isolation and passing our days in the hope of ending these trying times. It is often said, to find god in all things, yet in such moments of crisis, one might wonder the presence of god. However, today I want to remind us all of the old saying, “Doctors are second to god on this earth.” Our doctors along with our healthcare workers have been continuously serving us and fighting to curtail the virus.The Covid 19 pandemic has unleashed one of the biggest catastrophes upon humanity and has led to a substantial loss of human life and thrown unending challenges on our unsung healthcare warriors. I convey my sincere appreciation and gratitude to all these Covid warriors who have been serving us while risking their own lives.
Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his address in the Lok Sabha this year said, “Our doctors and nurses came as incarnations of god, during the time of crisis.” On several occasions he has not only expressed his gratitude towards their efforts but has personally interacted with them and took cognisance of their personal experiences while serving during this health crisis. The National Doctors Day celebrated to recognise the contributions of doctors to communities and individual lives and for providing their dedicated services to the patients was also an opportunity to remember the Bharat Ratna awardee Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy who is also known as the national doctor of our country. His inspirational story is a mix of experiences and achievements, ranging from facing racial discrimination in America to earning the title of first medical consultant in the subcontinent given by the British Medical Journal in its obituary. After gaining the medical degrees he participated in the independence movement and later served as West Bengal’s Chief Minister for 14 years. But all the while he continued his medical practices and served the country by seeing patients on a regular basis.
The unmatched dedication and the love for his motherland made Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy a role model for several serving doctors of our country. Today, doctors are coming out of their retirement to serve people despite knowing the risks but they have accepted these as a part of their duty. Today, I want to remind every citizen of my country that these frontline workers are those who are supporting us the most when we need them. They are the ones who prioritised our families over theirs. It is they who did not give up and were behind the recoveries of many affected people. While I express my gratitude for their selfless service to mankind, I urge every individual to value and support our frontline workers. This is the time when our medical staff requires appreciation and encouragement to lift their spirits and express our respect to those who are selflessly serving us.
Currently, the global Covid-19 death toll is more than 38 lakh. Among the lives lost, there have also been deaths of doctors and healthcare workers who have played crucial roles in our fight against the unseen virus. Doctors are battling hard against this virus both professionally and personally. Several doctors and medical staff have been continuously working without any breaks.The hardships and struggles faced by them are only to make sure that their patients are stable and recover soon. Currently, I am undergoing the post covid treatment and I personally want to express my gratitude to the doctors and the entire medical staff who are continuously working upon my wellbeing and recovery. Apart from serving the patients physically, I have also seen several viral videos on social media, where our doctors and healthcare workers are putting best efforts to motivate and encourage the patients admitted in the Covid wards.Amidst the treatment, the wards can be gloomy and depressing, however our medical staff are seen celebrating birthdays of the patients and enjoying the moments with dance and music. Such efforts to deal with this health crisis with a smile on their faces, makes me a proud citizen of this country. Today, I want to share my feelings with every doctor and medical staff, that all of you have inspired me with courage, passion and dedication one should develop in professional space.
Being a doctor is one of the noblest professions. Surely, medicines cure diseases but only our doctors can cure patients. You are the ones who heal the unwell and are entrusted with life saving decisions. This small piece of writing is a tribute to all the doctors and medical staff who have helped save millions of lives. We are all indebted to the dedication and selfless service you have provided to all of us. A big salute to all the doctors, nurses and paramedical staff who have served the people at large and emerged as true heroes. Jai Hind!
(The writer is the Union Education Minister, Government of India)
