Nation's Doctor

In the obituary to Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, the British Medical Journal wrote, “… at his professional zenith, he may have had the largest consulting practise in the world, news of his visit to a city or even railway station bringing forth hordes of would-be patients.”

National Doctors Day. Illustrated by Anupama: Visual Storyteller at ThisDay

Spending just an hour in a hospital makes us nauseous and cautious of the fact that we might get infected. Have you ever thought of those people scurrying about in the corridors in white attire trying to do their job of saving lives? Wearing a mask for more than one hour makes us irritated even when we haven’t been wearing them before the pandemic. Think about those doctors, nurses, paramedics, and medical staff who are wearing PPE kits for the entire day. They sometimes don’t even get the chance to remove it before the next day arrives.

Being a doctor is certainly not an easy job. Keeping up with sleepless nights, thick books, bags under your eyes, 5.5 years of college struggle, and even after the completion of this “torturous tenure”, they simply wear a white coat and go the second level of stress. Hospitals, patients, prescriptions, surgeries, their life still revolves around these. Known to be the noblest profession in the world, doctors have a huge responsibility of saving lives.

Even in this pandemic, when we are enjoying are our days and are confined within the comfort of our homes, doctors are desperate to see their family members. While we are afraid of coming out of our houses after hearing about that neighbour infected with coronavirus, doctors have no choice but are in direct contact with these patients. They are no less than a shield protecting us from everything that wants to harm us.

To celebrate the continuous efforts made by the doctors, this very day is renamed Doctor’s Day all across India. This day not only celebrates “stethoscopers”, but also marks the birthday of the legendary physician and the second CM of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy.

Born in a typical Bengali family in Bihar, Bidhan was the youngest of five siblings. Despite being a descendant of Maharaja Pratapaditya, the family did not inherit much wealth. Yet with a moderate salary and big heart, the entire family used to help the ones in need. Educating others and giving some comfort of life to the ones who could not afford was their daily routine.

Growing up with the values of giving his precious possessions to those who are in need, Roy was an ardent follower of Brahmo Samaj. With a certain kind of gleam in his eyes, he went on his path to becoming a doctor. Graduating from the University of Calcutta in medicine, his feet didn’t stop here. Flying off to England with 1200 rupees in his wallet, Bidhan tried to join the prestigious St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. But nothing comes without struggle. The Dean was reluctant to admit any student of Asian origin to the institute. After constant persistence and over 30 meeting rounds, he was finally able to enter the campus. Little did the Dean know of the excellent brain that was waiting to be explored.

Completing his PG in two years, Bidhan went on to achieve the rarest of the rare feat. He became a member of the Royal College of Physicians and a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons simultaneously.

But his motherland was calling him. Returning to India in 1911, Roy started teaching at Calcutta Medical College. Reminiscing his days at the college when amidst all the chaos of the partition of Bengal, he still managed to complete his studies instead of being sucked into the world of politics. Making the best use of his knowledge, Bidhan made it a point to focus on his career to be able to help his countrymen.

After teaching for some months at the college, Roy decided to get involved in Bengal politics. He not only succeeded as a politician but also became Gandhi’s physician. In a conversation with Gandhi during a self-purification fast, Gandhi asked Roy, “Why should I take your treatment? Do you treat four hundred million of my countrymen free?” Scrunching his brows a little, he replied, “No Gandhiji, I could not treat all patients free. But I came… not to treat Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, but to treat “him” who to me represents the four hundred million people of my country.” In a hurry to give him a proper comeback, Gandhi said, “You are arguing like a third-class lawyer in a mofussil (district) court.” Eventually, Gandhi had to take the medicine because of the constant persistence from Rao.

Not only Gandhi, but his best friend, Nehru was also as stubborn as a 5-year-old kid. One of the doctors who attended Jawahar, once said, “Roy is tall enough to ask Nehru to obey medical orders.”

An ardent believer of the fact that only good health can empower the Indians to fight with double the enthusiasm for their freedom, Roy always went out of his way to strengthen the health infrastructure of the country. From building hospitals to opening training centers for nurses, Bidhan made sure to make stiff pillars that would never fall.

As if showing his miraculous capabilities as a doctor was not enough, he also handled works of administration quite well. Handling some pivotal positions of managing the state, colleges, and hospitals, he made sure that the city flourished with the expansion of education, healthcare, electricity, infrastructural facilities, and other necessities. Reaching out to those sections of the society who were often ignored, Roy yet again proved that his parents did a pretty good job in raising him.

Joining as the Chief Minister of West Bengal in 1948, he managed to bring peace and stability even when the state was torn apart by communal violence and the influx of thousands of refugees. A divided Bengal was not at all an attractive scene but Roy brought beauty to it under his dauntless leadership.

Years went by and so did his services. Attending to the need of the patients to looking after the development of the state, Roy never stopped. But everything eventually came to an end when he let out his last breath. Leaving behind a mark in the field of healthcare and public service that could never be forgotten, he went into a deep sleep forever.