This professional holiday of Belarus is dedicated to all those people who work for the benefit of humanity and create pharmaceutical and microbiological products.

Russia stands in solidarity with its Belarusian colleagues regarding the celebration of Microbiological Industry Day. But Pharmaceutical Industry Day is usually celebrated on May 19th.

Who's celebrating

The Day of Workers in the Pharmaceutical and Microbiological Industry in 2020 is celebrated by bacteriologists, biophysicists, biochemists, pharmacologists, epidemiologists and everyone related to this field of activity.

About the profession

Pharmaceutical industry workers are involved in the study, creation, development, market research, and distribution of pharmaceutical drugs intended to prevent, alleviate, and treat human and animal diseases.

Microbiological industry is a section of the industry in which the production of products is based on the microbiological combination of certain products from different types of non-food material (hydrocarbons of the oil and gas group, wood hydrolysates). In addition, residues from industrial processing of sugar beets, corn, oilseeds and other agricultural crops are used. Workers in this industry are engaged in the production of protein-vitamin concentrated solutions, amino acids, vitamins, fermentation preparations, antibiotics, enterobacterial and viral agents, bacterial fertilizers, as well as products of complex processing of plant raw materials - furfural, xylitol, etc.

In August 2011, during the reform of state management of the pharmaceutical industry, the Belbiopharm production association, which then included eighteen enterprises, factories and plants, was liquidated. The concern's responsibilities were transferred to the Department of Pharmaceutical Industry in the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus.

On May 19, 1581, in the Russian Federation (Udelnaya Rus), Prince Ivan IV (the Terrible) promulgated a decree on the opening of the first “royal” pharmacy. The list of goods on display was available only to persons close to the king. And only one hundred and twenty years later, in 1701, thanks to Tsar Peter I the Great, on November 22, a decree appeared allowing private individuals to open pharmacies, but prohibiting the sale of medicines in herbal shops and other similar establishments.

Every person at different periods of his life has to go to medical institutions, deal with doctors and medical staff. Some of them are remembered with a feeling of deep gratitude for the health given or the life saved. On Medical Worker's Day, every former patient has the opportunity to demonstrate their personal gratitude and respect for this noble profession. How and when is Doctor's Day celebrated in 2016, on what date is it celebrated in Russia, as well as in other former Soviet republics?

What date is Doctor's Day in 2016 in Russia?

The question of what date is Medical Day in 2016 is relevant for everyone who would like to express gratitude to the people of this difficult profession. At the time when we were in the Union, it was a common professional holiday for the republics, which since 1980, at the legislative level, it was customary to celebrate in the first month of summer. The ceremonial events were attended by everyone who took the Hippocratic Oath, scientists, nurses, orderlies and support staff working in the medical field. For their merits in difficult and noble work, they were awarded diplomas, valuable gifts and cash bonuses. In modern Russia, Doctor's Day, as in the times of the Soviet Union, is celebrated on the third Sunday of the first summer month; in 2016 it will be the 19th.

What date is Doctor's Day in 2016 in Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan?

In countries that were republics of the Soviet Union, the tradition of celebrating professional holidays has also been preserved. There is no need to look for information about what date is Medical Day in 2016 in other countries of the former Union. Because they celebrate it the same way as in Russia, in the old fashioned way, on the third Sunday in June. On Doctor's Day, June 19, 2016, be sure to congratulate your loved ones and relatives living in neighboring countries.

Medical professionals surround us from birth. Thanks to their hands and professionalism, we come into this world, overcome illnesses, and emerge victorious in a difficult struggle. Knowing what date is Medical Day in 2016, you can congratulate health workers living in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and other post-Soviet countries. This is a good reason to thank the doctors and staff for your or your loved ones' recovery. Congratulate your friends and neighbors who work in the medical field on the holiday, expressing respect for the profession, personal sympathy and gratitude.

A doctor is a responsible, risky and unpredictable profession, vital and irreplaceable for any society. This is probably why, even on their professional holiday, doctors cannot afford a full day off.

In Russia, traditionally, Doctor's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June: in 2018, the holiday falls on June 17.

Medical Worker Day was first established in the Soviet Union according to the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council “On Holidays and Memorial Days.” Subsequently, the idea was picked up all over the world, and now doctors are honored in dozens of CIS countries, Europe, Africa and America.

Vladimir Voronov

Other dates in honor of doctors

By the way, Doctor's Day is not the only holiday for medical workers. Thus, in some countries, May 12 is celebrated as International Nurses Day. The date of the celebration was not chosen by chance: on May 12, 1820, Florence Nightingall, one of the founders of the Sisters of Charity movement, was born. But nurses don’t have their own day off.

However, the servants of Aesculapius (the ancient Roman god of healing), regardless of gender, have more than enough reasons to celebrate: the Day of the Surgeon, Paramedic, Resuscitator, Therapist and dozens of other professional holidays are celebrated in Russia annually and on a large scale.

© Sputnik / Alexander Polegenko

What is the Hippocratic Oath

Everyone who has even a vague understanding of doctors and medicine has heard about the Hippocratic Oath, but few people other than doctors know about its meaning. In fact, the Hippocratic Oath is a kind of “code of honor” for doctors, which sets out the moral and ethical standards of behavior for a medical worker.

The original text says:

“I will not give anyone the deadly remedy they ask from me and will not show the way for such a plan... Whatever I see or hear during treatment, I will keep silent about it, considering such things a secret. I will conduct my life and my art purely and immaculately ".

The medical profession is changing rapidly, and the Hippocratic Oath has also changed. Modern doctors recite legally approved versions of the “Hippocratic Oath,” and in some countries the Hippocratic version is not used at all for historical reasons. However, the Hippocratic Oath remains of interest to historians and many medical professionals who value the ancient history of healing.

© Sputnik / B. Loginov

Why do doctors wear white coats?

Every person who has ever been to a hospital has wondered: why do doctors wear white coats? The reason for this is as justified as it is banal. The medical uniform appeared back in the 19th century, and in those days doctors wore ordinary aprons and gloves.

Once, the English doctor Joseph Lister noticed that blood and dirt were clearly visible on a white apron, and suggested that all doctors, for the purposes of hygiene and sanitation, should wear only snow-white coats. The idea caught on, and in the future the skill of a doctor was judged by how much he soiled his robe during an operation.

© Sputnik / Konstantin Chalabov

How to celebrate Doctor's Day

Doctor's Day in Russia is not an official day off in the full sense: firstly, the medical profession knows no rest, and secondly, the holiday itself always falls on Sunday. And yet, in many cities of Russia, concerts, conferences and festive tables are held on Doctor’s Day. Doctors and their relatives congratulate each other, give gifts and set festive tables.

National Doctors Day in India is celebrated on the first of July, on the birthday of the legendary physician, chief minister of West Bengal, prominent political and statesman, and activist of the resistance movement in India, Bidhan Chandra Roy. On their professional holiday, Indian doctors provide free tests, X-rays and ultrasounds to everyone, and do tests for HIV and other dangerous diseases.