National Doctor's Day 2025: Why India salutes its healers on July 1
National Doctor’s Day 2025 theme is "Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers?", which calls for a deeper reflection on the challenges faced by the medical fraternity
India celebrates National Doctor’s Day on July 1 every year to recognise the unwavering dedication, compassion, and sacrifices of its medical professionals.
This day serves as a reminder of the sacrifices that the frontline medical workers made to preserve the health and the well-being of the country and its citizens.
The day is significant in recognising and appreciating the importance and efforts of doctors and other medical practitioners, especially in the time of emergency or crisis.
Also Read: Doctors' Day: PM Modi greets ‘heroes’, says govt committed to improving health infrastructure
This year’s theme
In 2025, the day carries even more emotional weight with its theme: “Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers?” — a reflection on the mental and emotional challenges faced by healthcare workers. The theme calls on society to recognise not just the doctors’ efforts but also their humanity and need for support.
Every day, medical professionals selflessly put their patients first, and this often happens at the price of their own well-being. National Doctors Day is an opportunity to honour the healers who selflessly care for us, not merely to show our gratitude.
It highlights the need to recognise doctors not just as caregivers but also as individuals who require empathy, mental health support, and rest.
Why is Doctor’s Day celebrated on July 1?
The Government of India instituted National Doctor's Day in 1991 as a way to honour the outstanding accomplishments of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy to the medical field and in public service.
One of the country’s most respected physicians and a visionary in public healthcare, Dr Roy was also the second chief minister of West Bengal and a recipient of the Bharat Ratna.
Dr Roy was born on July 1, 1882, and died on the same day in 1962. His legacy includes the founding of key medical institutions like the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Medical Council of India (MCI).
Under his guidance, medical standards were uplifted, and access to healthcare in the country expanded significantly. His life and career as inspired generations of doctors and continues to shape India’s healthcare system.
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Celebrating doctors
National Doctor’s Day 2025 offers everyone an opportunity to express appreciation for the doctors who serve our communities. Here’s how you can convey your gratitude:
Send a heartfelt message: A simple thank you card, email, or text can brighten your doctor’s day.
Share stories on social media: Highlight how a doctor has positively impacted your life.
Participate in campaigns: Many hospitals and civil groups are organising public ceremonies and awareness drives. Join in to show collective support.
Gift tokens of thanks: Flowers, plants, or books make thoughtful and meaningful gestures.
Call for action
Symbolic gestures can never replace structural reform. Our healthcare system is silently bleeding — doctors are stretched thin, underpaid, and increasingly exposed to risk.
We don’t just need better policies — we need solidarity, protection, empathy, and respect. Violence against doctors has become disturbingly common. A 2020 study found that 68 per cent of Indian doctors had experienced violence.
Our medical education system, too, is in desperate need of reform. We nurture some of the brightest minds, yet train them to ace exams rather than truly connect with patients. Empathy, communication, and ethics aren’t optional extras — they are the essence of healing.
Financial hardships only worsen the crisis. Recruitment delays, lack of institutional support, and systemic exploitation are driving young doctors to leave the country or abandon the profession altogether.
What we need is a permanent national law to safeguard doctors, a medical education system that teaches with compassion, fair compensation, and a unified voice for the medical community.
Also Read: National Doctors' Day 2022: Remembering legendary Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy
Significance of the day
Celebrating National Doctor’s Day serves as a public acknowledgement of the role medical professionals play — not only during pandemics or crises but every day, across villages, towns, and cities.
The day holds immense significance as it acknowledges the selfless service of doctors and healthcare professionals who place their patients’ health above their own.
It serves as a reminder of the tireless hours, emotional resilience, and sacrifices they make to ensure the well-being of others. From general practitioners to specialists and surgeons, the day honours all those who have taken the oath to heal and serve.
As India continues to face new public health challenges, National Doctor’s Day 2025 is both a celebration and a call to action—to build a system where doctors are not just revered as caregivers but also protected, respected, and cared for in return.