According to the National Medical Commission, India has a total of 13,86,136 practising modern medicine physicians.
Every year National Doctors' Day is observed in honour of the venerable Dr BC Roy, for his lifelong service to the medical field, as well all our healthcare heroes. Dr Roy was one of several legendary figures in Indian medical history. Read on...
Significantly influenced structuring of medical training. Was Mahatma Gandhi's physician. Set up: Jadavpur TB Hospital, Chittaranjan Seva Sadan, Kamala Nehru Memorial Hospital, Victoria Institution, Chittaranjan Cancer Hospital.
Hailing from the former Bombay Presidency, she was the earliest Indian woman to pursue and complete a 2-year qualification in Western medical studies in the US.
Gondal's maharaja (present-day Gujarat) stands out as one of the few monarchs to have earned a medical degree (University of Edinburgh), becoming the vice president of the Indian Medical Association.
One of the first Indian doctors to study medicine in England, he later did duty in the Anglo-Sikh Wars and the Santhal Rebellion and set up dispensaries in Bengal.
The first to successfully clear the Indian Medical Service exam in 1855. Later became professor of materia medica, Calcutta Medical College in 1854, one of the earliest Indians to hold such a senior position.
Recognised as the first woman worldwide to specialise in anaesthesia. Hyderabad-based, she was instrumental in pioneering from 1889 chloroform as an anaesthetic.
Renowned Bombay obstetric specialist, in 1887 he helped begin one of the earliest city maternity hospitals. His commendable service during the late 1800s plague outbreak earned him knighthood.
This distinguished Indian medical practitioner produced a comprehensive 2-part publication on medical science, along with a detailed reference on the healing flora of western India and indigenous remedies.