Happy Doctors Day Vets!
Pashu Sandesh, 01 July 2021
01 July celebrated all over the country today as Doctors Day commemorating the Birthday of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy an eminent physician and an astute politician, educationist, philanthropist, freedom fighter and statesman. Born on 01 July 1882, he was also the Chief Minister of West Bengal until his death in 1962. He is one of the few people in history to have obtained F.R.C.S. and M.R.C.P. degrees simultaneously.
This year's celebrations of Doctors day was important in the backdrop of the CORONA pandemic where the Doctors were felicitated in the Government organised programs as the frontline CORONA warriors and praiseworthy words were chosen to profusely thank the Medical community for their selfless role in the Global emergency. But as the Governments chose to thank the Human Doctors for their role in the ongoing pandemic, they have conveniently forgotten the “Other Doctors” the VETS, who are also working day and night in the perilous conditions and supporting the whole Animal Husbandry sector which if collapsed has the magnitude of catastrophically affecting the rural and in turn the national economy. Governments should make it a point to equally put it on the priority list to recognise Vets and their services when organising functions to felicitate their human counterparts.
As such " ONE HEALTH" is the emerging concept where Zoonotic Diseases have taken a centre stage and where both the human doctor and Vet doctor would work together hand in hand.
Vets chose to remain the silent spectators of the stepmotherly treatment meted out to them and exchanged on social media the Happy Doctors day messages among themselves. Vets over the time period have also demanded parity with their Human doctors' counterparts in terms of status and Pay, but it seems the essence of the whole phenomenon of being a Doctor who has the task of mitigating the pain and suffering of a living being be it an Animal has not yet sunk well in the community and time and again they are subjected to humiliation when they are not considered equal to their human counterparts.
Let's not forget that there is n number of stories in the media where Vets have lost their lives while serving in the CORONA pandemic and still, they are not considered front line CORONA warriors by the respective governments, proof of which is not given priority in the early Vaccination against COVID19, What a joke! were the Vets are not dealing with potential CORONA infected people and treating sick animals??.
Various Veterinary associations all across the Nation are also required to come forward, announce their intentions and celebrate Doctors Day with full enthusiasm and spirit. Let's not remain a fringe player and stamp our ownership of the Doctors Day and echo the ethos of the Day that is to acknowledge all those who are working tirelessly to mitigate the suffering whether of a Human or a mute and helpless Animal for what Dr BC Roy stood for.
Pashu Sandesh once again wishes all the Vets a very Happy Doctors Day.