Why India celebrates National Doctor's Day on July 1? Here's all you need to know:
Birth and death anniversary of the 'national doctor' Bidhan Chandra Roy
An iconic medical practitioner, freedom fighter, and politician
Born in Patna Bengal Presidency in 1882, went to England to study medicine
Denied admission at prestigious St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London as he was Asian
Bidhan Chandra Roy didn't give up, got admission after 30 attempts
Went on to become a Member of the Royal College of Physicians and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons
Joined India's Independence movement, was close to Mahatma Gandhi
Joined politics, became second chief minister of Bengal and served from 1948 to 1962
India honoured Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy with a Bharat Ratna in 1961.
Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy passed away on his 80th birthday on July 1, 1962.
The British Medical Journal, in its obituary of Roy, called him the “first medical consultant in the subcontinent of India"