National Pathology Day – Are we doing it right?
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: ‘The great aim of education is not knowledge but action’. – Herbert Spencer National Pathology Day (NPD) is celebrated in India commemorating the birth anniversary of Dr V. R. Khanolkar, who is regarded as the Father of Pathology and Medical Research.[1] It has now been 4 years since, and the celebrations have been steadily gaining momentum across the nation. From webinars to interactive lectures, from quizzes to poster presentations and from talent displays to public awareness, it is heartening to see pathologists and, more importantly, the student community embrace the occasion with immense enthusiasm. This is a great start, and we have indeed made efforts to make this a part of our professional identity. All the photos and videos shared across various social media platforms and academic circles are a testimony to that. Are we doing it right? Are our celebrations truly achieving the goals we set out to accomplish? And more so, how much more can we do? We are yet to see a united, national approach bringing everyone together towards a single powerful and meaningful voice. Pathology, despite being the cornerstone of diagnosis and patient care, often stays overshadowed by more visible clinical branches.[2] Pathology is not just a laboratory science, but a critical part of healthcare delivery, medical education and research. A bigger concern now is how little the public know and understand what we exactly do. From my encounters with people, I have come to understand that many are oblivious that we are the specialists who examine their biopsies, that we are the specialists who diagnose their diseases and that we are the specialists who guide their treatment. Pathologists are the ‘consultant’s consultant’, but to the patient, we remain invisible. If NPD should have an impact, it must go beyond the doctors and out into the society. We must look outside our own and draw inspiration from other organisations across the globe. A ‘theme’ is a strong uniting factor which can bind the professionals with the people. It gives a clear purpose and spreads the message effectively. Let us take the Royal College of Pathologists, for example. They adopt annual themes to align activities across regions and institutions for the National Pathology Week and International Pathology Day.[3] These events feature coordinated campaigns, community activities, media outreach and interactive sessions. It is time for us in India to incorporate such notions for NPD. We have kept our celebrations confined within conference halls and social media hashtags, missing the chance to build trust among the people at large. Surely, it is not just to showcase our association’s activities or just to tick a box on the calendar. It is to honour Dr Khanolkar’s legacy – raise the profile of pathology, inspire future generations and, importantly, connect with the layperson and raise awareness that pathology is an essential part of their healthcare journey and our healthcare delivery. We can convert these celebrations into a nationwide movement involving all the states and institutions under a shared theme which can reach out, reach high and reach beyond. Engaging the public should be the top priority. The people need to know. Organise community tours, exhibits or even patient-friendly workshops that help them understand who we are. Collaborate with clinicians to highlight real-world stories of how pathology impacts lives. With the current digital era, everything can be available at the tip of your fingers. While today we celebrate NPD as a single day, let us hope that in the future, it grows into a week’s celebration, if not more. Dr Khanolkar and many stalwarts in Pathology from India have dedicated their lives to building bridges between science and society. Let us honour their legacy by making NPD a stronghold to bring our work and ourselves out of the lab and into the public eye.
Author: S Vijay Shankar
Institution: Adichunchanagiri University
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4411307141