Now, post a selfie with your doctor

Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors launches campaign to improve doctor-patient relations.

Strange as may seem, clicking selfies with one’s doctor and posting it online is part of a new campaign launched by Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) to improve doctor-patient relations and prevent attacks on doctors which have become frequent of late.

According to MARD, there have been 19 attacks on doctors across Maharashtra since July this year.

The new initiative was launched a week ago where people have been asked to upload a selfie with a doctor (or any medico who has treated the patient) and post it on the Facebook page “Hall of Shame: Save doctors from assaults”.

While the week-long campaign has so far been able to collect just 75 selfies, MARD is now actively planning to approach private hospital doctors and urge them to post selfies with their patients. “Since we are just limited to government hospitals, we are now planning to request private hospital doctors to participate in the campaign. Already, we have spoken to doctors at several hospitals in Mumbai and at Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune. We are planning to meet several others across the state,” Dr Sagar Mundada, president of MARD, told The Indian Express.

“Anybody and everybody is welcome to click selfie with your doctor and post it on our FB page,” said Mundada, who launched this initiative following a spate of attacks on doctors in the last few years. “The bond between a doctor and a patient is a delicate one. Our Facebook page will also highlight the fact that there may be a few black sheep in this noble profession, but it will also help reinforce the concept of the Hippocrates oath that doctors take and make them introspect. For patients too, a selfie would be a way to show their gratitude to the person who helps heal them. After all, why not show a little gratitude to the doctor who makes you alright.”

For every picture posted from November 1-30, MARD will be donating Rs 100 for the care of patients suffering from schizophrenia.

Meanwhile, MARD has urged relatives of patients to allow only one or two to accompany the patient. “Getting more relatives to the hospitals is not really helping improve the health of the patient, but instead they can also be the source of new infections,” MARD said in a statement. Fewer relatives will also reduce the uncalled for chaos in hospital premises and help bring down the number of attacks, it said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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