News
News
October 18th, Doctor's Day!
Bahiana congratulates all medical professionals on their commemorative date
18/10/2010
Staying awake at night, always being alert, even on holidays and weekends. Give up important family moments. All this for what? Or rather, by whom? For the next. This is the doctor's routine. Professional who dedicates more than his working hours, but his life in favor of caring, restoring people's health and quality of life. And that's why the Bahiana happily congratulates the doctor on his day - today, October 18th.
Congratulations to the doctors and doctors and thank you for your generous and tireless dedication!
Why October 18th?
October 18 was chosen as "Doctors' Day" as it is the day consecrated to St. Luke by the Catholic Church. As is well known, Luke was one of the four New Testament evangelists. His gospel is third in chronological order; the two that preceded it were written by the apostles Matthew and Mark.
Luke did not personally live with Jesus and, therefore, his narrative is based on testimonies of people who witnessed the life and death of Jesus. In addition to the gospel, he is the author of the "Act of the Apostles", which complements the gospel.
According to tradition, Saint Luke was a doctor, as well as a painter, musician and historian, and would have studied medicine in Antioquia, his hometown. Having greater culture than the other evangelists, his gospel uses a more refined language, which reveals his perfect command of the Greek language. He lived in the XNUMXst century AD, the date of his birth as well as his death unknown.
There is no documentary evidence, but there is indirect evidence of his medical status. The main one was bequeathed to us by St. Paul, in the Epistle to the Colossians, when he refers to "Luke, the beloved physician" (4.14:XNUMX). He was a great friend of St. Paul and together they spread the teachings of Jesus among the Gentiles.
Another indirect proof of his medical status is the terminology used by Luke in his writings. In certain passages, he uses words that indicate his familiarity with the medical language of his time. This fact has been the object of comparative critical studies between the evangelical texts of Matthew, Mark and Luke, and is pointed out as relevant in proving that Luke was really a doctor. Among these studies, the one by Dircks is cited, which contains a glossary of words of medical interest found in the New Testament.
The choice of St. Luke as patron of physicians in countries that profess Christianity goes back a long way. Eurico Branco Ribeiro, renowned professor of surgery and founder of Sanatório S. Lucas, in São Paulo, is the author of a fundamental work on São Lucas, in four volumes, totaling 685 pages, the result of personal investigations and a rich source of information about the patron of doctors. In this work, entitled "Doctor, painter and saint", the author mentions that, as early as 1463, the University of Padua began the academic year on October 18, in honor of Saint Luke, proclaimed patron of the "College of philosophers and physicians ".
The choice of October 18 as "doctors' day" is common to many countries, including Portugal, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Poland, England, Argentina, Canada and the United States. In Brazil, the 18th of October is definitively enshrined as "doctors' day".
Thus, over its nearly 60 years of existence, the Bahiana It is very proud of having trained hundreds of these professionals who work in the State of Bahia, across the country, and also in other countries. And congratulate them on this so important date!