Doctors’ Day is celebrated in India on 1st July every year to mark the Birth & Death anniversary of Bharat Ratna Awardee, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy (Dr BC Roy).
Dr BC Roy was born in 1882 in Patna, Bihar and after doing his medical graduation in Kolkata and MRCP and FRCS at London, he started his career as a physician in Patna in 1911. He taught in Patna Medical College and in Carmichael Medical College.
He was a true freedom fighter and joined Mahatma Gandhi in Civil Disobedience Movement. In the field of politics, he became a leader of the Indian National Congress and later Chief Minister of West Bengal. In 1976, he was conferred Bharat Ratna and Dr B C Roy National award were constituted in his name the same year.
He left us on 1st July, 1962 but his soul is still remains in the collective consciousness of the medical profession of our country.
The demand for a Doctors’ Day originated in Kolkata by Kidderpore Branch in 1989 under the Presidentship of Dr Santanu Banerjee and Dr Pradip Kumar Chatterjee as the Secretary.
Later, the state working committees of IMA Bengal and the IMA Bengal State Council in 1989 resolved to declare 1st July as Doctors’ day under the Presidentship of Dr Ashok Chaudhuri.
