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Former Chief Justice of India D. Y. Chandrachud on Sunday highlighted the importance of compassion, humanity and mental health in the medical profession while addressing the 55th anniversary event of the University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) in Delhi.
Addressing doctors and students at Delhi's University College of Medical Sciences, the former CJI urged them to recognise the significance of their work, including contributions that often go unnoticed, and emphasised that treating patients with humanity should remain central to medical practice. Every doctor who walked these corridors left a footprint without knowing they were building anything. Now it is your turn; you should know that the most important work of your lives will be the work no one sees, he said. Recalling an incident involving Mahatma Gandhi, Chandrachud spoke about how Gandhi underwent surgery for acute appendicitis in January 1924 while imprisoned at Yerwada Jail in Pune. The surgeon on duty was a British officer. The man leading a nation's struggle against the British Empire was lying on the operating table of a British surgeon, and in that room, none of it mattered: the nationality of the surgeon, the nationality of the patient, or the fact that he was in a jail consigned by the British colonial government. Gandhi ji gave his consent and thanked the doctor. Gandhi ji recovered and later spoke warmly of the man who had saved him, he said. Drawing a lesson from the incident, Chandrachud emphasised that doctors must treat patients without prejudice, regardless of their social status, beliefs or circumstances. The patient in front of you may be a prisoner or a minister, a saint or a sinner. They may thank you, or they may shout at you; they may be impatient with you. In the operation theatre, only one identity matters: a human being who needs you. Medicine at its finest is the one place where all our divisions are left outside the door, he said. Chandrachud also recalled the contribution of Dr M S Rawal, who treated Mukti Vahini soldiers during the Bangladesh Liberation War while posted in Tripura. Rawal later became the dean of RML Hospital. He described how Rawal treated injured soldiers in field hospitals with limited anaesthesia and medical equipment, helping save numerous lives. Rawal was later recognised for his contribution to treating Mukti Vahini fighters following Bangladesh's independence, Chandrachud said. Sharing a personal experience, the former CJI spoke about the medical challenges faced by his elder daughter, who has a condition called Nemaline myopathy. He recalled that his daughter suffered respiratory distress in Shimla and was put on ventilator support. The family was informed that she might not survive for more than a few minutes if moved from Shimla. However, they decided to take her to Chandigarh for treatment at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), where doctors helped save her life. Chandrachud also highlighted the importance of doctors taking care of their own health while treating patients. Recalling an incident during his daughter's treatment in Delhi, he said a doctor from Noida who had been visiting to provide treatment died following a drug overdose. The incident, he said, made the family realise that the young doctor had neglected his own well-being while caring for others. Emphasising the importance of mental health among medical professionals, Chandrachud urged doctors to pay attention to their emotional and psychological well-being, particularly given the demanding nature of their work. I always ask young people who sometimes work for 36-48 hours in a stretch without going home. Are you well? Is there something which is bothering you? Let's talk about mental health. Focus on our own health, he said. (ANI)
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