Part I .... continued Click Here to read Part I
Dr. Herman stopped in his tracks.
He looked him in the eye and replied:
“He made the right decision. He completed his duty, handed over the responsibility, and went to be a father. His daughter will remember this day. The patient will be fine, because we’re a team. But missed moments with children? They don’t come back.”
“We are doctors, yes. But we are also human beings. If we forget that, we lose everything.”
Ashutosh was speechless. His mind raced through the years he spent in India — sleepless nights, unending shifts, missing family functions, not being there when his child was sick, when his parents aged, or when his partner just needed his presence.
He remembered those days of residency and beyond, where being a doctor meant becoming a machine. No breaks. No food. No feelings. Only duty.
That evening, as I listened to this story, a lump formed in my throat.
Because I saw myself in Ashutosh.
I saw every Indian doctor, those silently sacrificing their lives, skipping meals, skipping sleep, and sometimes… skipping life itself.
When did we decide that our oath to heal others meant hurting ourselves?
When did we begin to believe that burnout is bravery, that self-sacrifice is duty, and that overwork is honor?
On this Doctors' Day, I want to raise a voice.
Not in protest.
But in reflection.
In hope.
In solidarity.
Let us reclaim our humanity, dear colleagues.
Let us remember, self-care is not selfish.
We serve our patients better when we eat on time, sleep enough, love enough, and live enough.
We become role models not just in science, but in living a balanced, meaningful life.
Let us not wait for Germany or some other system to show us the way.
Let us be the change.
Let’s normalize saying:
"I need rest."
"I’ll see you tomorrow."
"My daughter has a violin class."
My son has a cricket match.
Let us honor ourselves this Doctors’ Day.
Because healing must begin at home,
With our bodies,
With our minds,
With our families,
With us.
To every Indian doctor reading this, your work is sacred. But so is your life.
Let’s choose both.
Let’s choose balance.
Let’s choose life.
Dr Biswajit Mohapatra
Senior Surgeon, JP HOSPITAL
Chairman GSHER