Bahraini Doctor’s Day is not just a celebratory occasion included in the calendar of national days in the Kingdom of Bahrain, but rather it is a moment of appreciation and appreciation for a profession that has chosen to carry a lofty humanitarian message, contributing to building humanity and enhancing the quality of life.
It is also a reflection of the special status that this profession enjoys in light of the generous patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the great king of the country, may God protect and preserve him, and the continuous attention of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him. This day represents an opportunity to consolidate the medical profession, which has its roots in the land of Bahrain since ancient civilizational times, as the beginnings of medical practice go back to traditional folk medicine known by the Dilmun civilization in the third millennium BC. Dilmun was a thriving commercial center, which allowed for the exchange of therapeutic knowledge with the civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. In that era, baths, therapeutic waters, and healing rituals were known in temples such as the Barbar Temple, in addition to the use of herbs and natural oils in medicine.
In the Islamic era, medical sciences flourished and spread among societies, and the fame of scholars and doctors such as Ibn Sina, Al-Razi, and others became famous. In Bahraini society, Al-Hakim was considered a medical authority who used traditional herbs and mixtures, in addition to splinting and oil therapy skills. He was also known in Bahrain as “the wise man of sailors and divers,” who specialized in treating diving injuries and eye diseases resulting from constant exposure to seawater and salt, during the boom in pearl fishing.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Bahrain witnessed a qualitative shift from traditional medicine to modern medicine, making it one of the first countries in the region to embrace modern medical institutions. The first modern medical center was opened by Zwemer in 1892, followed by the American Mission Hospital in 1893, and then the establishment of the Salmaniya Medical Complex in 1957 as the first integrated national hospital. The achievements continued with the establishment of the first government nursing institute in 1959, the military hospital in 1968, and King Hamad University Hospital in 2010, which is one of the pioneers in using modern medical technologies. Specialized medical facilities have also been established, such as the Bahrain Oncology Center (2018), the Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa Specialized Heart Center (2021), the His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalid Al Khalifa Center for Kidney Diseases, and other centers that reflect the continuous development in the health system.
Today, the Kingdom of Bahrain continues the medical development process at a confident pace, keeping pace with the modern health technology revolution, through the introduction of advanced robotic surgical systems that enhance the accuracy of performance and quality of medical service. The Kingdom has achieved regional leadership in the Middle East and North Africa by launching the Hugo RAS robotic system at the military hospital, in addition to the innovative use of the VELYs device in knee joint surgery, and the NAEOTOM Alpha PCCT ultra-resolution computed tomography device, as well as the development of hybrid operating rooms (Hybrid OT) designated for advanced surgeries.
This continuous development confirms that the Kingdom of Bahrain is moving steadily towards strengthening its position as a leading medical center in the region, investing in national competencies and technological innovation, so that the medical profession remains one of the pillars of development and quality of life in the Kingdom.
Thus, Bahraini Doctor’s Day represents a moment of pride and honor, with a journey that extends from the roots of the Dilmun civilization to a present full of pioneering medical achievements, whose focus is on humanity, and whose motto is that medicine is a message before it is a profession.
