Doctors: Another Incarnation of God
Heramba Nath
(Dedicated to all doctors worldwide who serve humanity through sacrifice and compassion)
Throughout the long, eventful journey of human civilisation, few roles have commanded as much enduring reverence as that of the healer. From the ancient forest-dwelling medicine men and midwives to the sophisticated surgeons, epidemiologists, and multi-disciplinary physicians of the modern age, those entrusted with the preservation of human life have been viewed as more than professionals. They have been seen as embodiments of divine grace. In societies where life itself is considered sacred, the one who preserves it naturally becomes a figure of spiritual significance. In the Indian cultural consciousness, doctors have long been venerated as living embodiments of the divine — as another incarnation of God.
This profound sentiment echoes most meaningfully on 1st July, observed across India as Doctors’ Day. It is more than a commemorative occasion; it is an opportunity for the nation to pause, reflect, and offer gratitude to the fraternity of healers who work tirelessly, often silently, to guard the fragile boundary between life and death. It is a day not only to honour their sacrifices but to renew collective awareness of the moral obligations society bears towards its medical practitioners.
Across villages, towns, and sprawling metropolises, countless doctors begin their days at hours when most of the world still rests. Their adversaries are invisible but formidable: infections, diseases, epidemics, accidents, complications of childbirth, and more recently, pandemics of unprecedented scale. The battlefield is neither a war-torn landscape nor a political chamber, but the sterile yet charged atmosphere of operating theatres, emergency wards, rural health centres, and community health camps. The weapons they wield are empathy, clinical wisdom, antiseptics, syringes, surgical tools, and above all, courage.
In a profession where duty often eclipses personal life, doctors operate beyond the dictates of conventional work hours. Emergencies do not adhere to schedules. Natural disasters, unforeseen outbreaks, and road accidents summon them at ungodly hours. A doctor’s readiness is constant — an ingrained state of mind as much as a professional requirement. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare this reality in the most severe manner. As lockdowns gripped cities and nations, and as communities retreated indoors fearing for their lives, doctors stood their ground on the frontlines. They fought the invisible enemy at enormous personal risk, enduring isolation, fatigue, and the heart-wrenching grief of watching patients slip away.
The familiar image of a doctor — white-coated, stethoscope around the neck, calm amidst the storm — is universally recognised. Yet behind this visual lies an indispensable virtue: empathy. Empathy bridges the gap between clinical detachment and humane care. It transforms a bloodless medical procedure into an act of mercy and grace. A doctor’s touch on a trembling hand before a painful injection, a reassuring word to anxious relatives, a silent nod to an elderly patient fearful of surgery — these gestures of compassion are not prescribed in textbooks but are the soul of medicine. Medical science provides tools; empathy performs the miracle.
Becoming a doctor demands not only intellectual prowess but extraordinary mental resilience, moral fortitude, and the ability to remain composed in crises. Every decision carries the weight of consequences. A diagnosis can mean the difference between prolonged suffering and timely recovery, between hope and despair. With each patient, a doctor is confronted not only by medical symptoms but by a tangle of human emotions, fears, expectations, and histories. Navigating this intricate web with wisdom and sensitivity is as essential as clinical expertise.
In India, the challenges of practising medicine are particularly acute. In rural and underserved regions, the doctor often functions as the only lifeline between life and death. Medical practitioners in remote areas grapple with under-equipped clinics, poor infrastructure, and scarce resources. They travel long distances to conduct deliveries, treat snakebites, manage outbreaks with limited supplies, and offer emergency care under adverse circumstances. Often uncelebrated and unknown beyond their modest communities, these doctors exemplify the purest spirit of medical service. Their relentless labour, away from the arc lights of celebrity and urban convenience, forms the quiet backbone of India’s healthcare system.
The trust placed in doctors is perhaps unmatched in any other profession. Families entrust their most beloved — sometimes in their most vulnerable state — to the care of a doctor. This act of faith demands not only professional competence but unimpeachable integrity. Every diagnosis, prescription, and intervention reverberates with human consequences. The sacred bond between doctor and patient, founded on trust and compassion, must be preserved at all costs. However, growing instances of negligence, unethical practices, and the creeping commercialisation of healthcare have begun to fray this bond. It is incumbent upon the medical fraternity to guard this trust, refusing to allow financial imperatives to overshadow their humanitarian mission.
Simultaneously, society must introspect on its own responsibilities. The disturbing rise in incidents of violence against doctors, hospital assaults, and unjust blame for treatment outcomes reflects a troubling disregard for the realities of medical practice. Doctors often work under immense pressure, making difficult choices in constrained environments. Respect for their expertise and recognition of the risks they shoulder is essential. Protecting the dignity and safety of doctors is not merely a professional courtesy but a moral imperative. Hospitals must remain sanctuaries of healing, not theatres of conflict.
In India, Doctors’ Day holds additional significance as it commemorates both the birth and death anniversary of the legendary Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, a physician of rare brilliance, visionary administrator, and one of the architects of modern medical education in India. His life was an extraordinary confluence of medical excellence and public service. Remembering him is to remind ourselves of the seamless relationship between medicine and nation-building. Every 1st July must inspire doctors to aspire towards these high standards of selfless service and integrity.
Internationally, the medical profession transcends borders and ideologies. Humanitarian medical organisations like Médecins Sans Frontières venture into war-torn regions, refugee camps, and disaster-struck territories, often putting their own lives at risk to alleviate suffering. Their courage affirms the universality of medicine as a force for peace, compassion, and solidarity. Regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or faith, the doctor remains a symbol of hope wherever pain and misery exist.
The path ahead is not without its challenges. The commercialisation of healthcare, the rising costs of medical education, and the disproportionate emphasis on profitability threaten to corrode the noble foundations of the profession. It is imperative that future generations of medical students are encouraged to perceive medicine not merely as a lucrative career but as a sacred vocation. Ethical training, empathy development, and community medicine must be integral to medical curricula. Professional success should be measured not solely by wealth accumulation but by lives touched and hope restored.
For the nation as a whole, Doctors’ Day must become a call to action rather than a perfunctory celebration. Healthcare infrastructure needs sustained investment, equitable access, and modernisation. Policies should prioritise the welfare of medical personnel, providing fair remuneration, reasonable working conditions, and mental health support. Public education must improve awareness about the limitations of medical science, the unpredictability of diseases, and the importance of mutual compassion between doctor and patient.
History offers abundant testimony to the unbroken presence of healers through humanity’s darkest chapters — medieval plagues, colonial famines, world wars, and global pandemics. These brave souls, armed with little more than faith, empathy, and resolve, faced death so others might live. Their legacy is carried forward by contemporary doctors who continue the battle against new maladies and crises. Though mortal, their service touches eternity.
Doctors’ Day must never reduce itself to garlands, superficial tributes, and ceremonial speeches. Its true observance lies in nurturing a society that values its doctors as compassionate human beings, not mere service providers. Honouring them means investing in medical research, ensuring professional dignity, and cultivating a national temperament of gratitude. The struggle against disease, despair, and death is an eternal one, and in this unceasing contest, doctors will remain humanity’s foremost warriors.
As long as suffering endures, the figure of a doctor will walk beside it — calm, resilient, and compassionate — another incarnation of God, lighting the path from darkness to healing.