Steadfast guardians of community health, family doctors lead the way
By Ebrahim Noori Goushki
Family medicine specialist
World Family Doctor Day (May 19) is an opportunity to remind everyone of the tireless efforts of my colleagues in the field of health. We live in a world that is changing at an amazing pace; from health crises and natural disasters to psychological pressures, social changes and human lifestyles.
In the meantime, “resilience” as the ability to adapt and withstand hardships is the key to our individual and collective health. In this turbulent path, family doctors, as the backbone of the primary health care system and an important link between people and the health structure, who provide primary health care with a community-oriented and community-centered perspective based on continuous communication with people and a complete understanding of their family and social context, are undoubtedly a solid and reliable companion. The family doctor is not only a healer of diseases, but also a supporter of mental health, a guide for making the right treatment decisions, and an informed listener to our physical and mental concerns.
With the family doctor, psychological and social resilience is strengthened in families, diseases are identified earlier and better managed, health education continues continuously and effectively, and trust and human connection become the foundation of peace in crises. In an unstable world, the family doctor is the pillar of our health sustainability.
To commemorate the International Family Doctor Day and to appreciate the efforts of colleagues and to raise awareness of the important role of family physicians, it is suggested that by holding specialized conferences or meetings, organizing awareness campaigns on social media, incentive plans for family doctors, producing educational and informational content, collaborative activities with educational centers, and the presence of family physicians in the media, we point out the unique role of these physicians in maintaining the health of the community and remind them not to pay attention to family physicians only on May 19, but to appreciate their efforts and their unique role in the health system every day of the year.
Finally, as a small member of the large family of family doctors around the world, I extend my congratulations and best wishes to all family doctors around the world and clinical specialists in this field on this auspicious day. May your path be green and your thoughts be rich.