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About Doctors' Day

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About Doctors' Day

National Doctors' Day in India is marked on 1 July, the birth and death anniversary of Dr. B. C. Roy, a renowned physician.

Patients, families and hospitals thank doctors for their care, long hours and calm in hard moments. Many countries have their own date; in the United States it is 30 March.

A short, sincere thank you from a patient is often the message a doctor remembers most.

  • 1 July in India
  • First kept in 1991
  • Other countries have their own dates

Where it began

Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy was a well loved doctor and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal. He was born on 1 July 1882 and died on 1 July 1962.

He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1961. To honour his life of service, India began to mark 1 July as National Doctors' Day in 1991.

Other lands keep their own day. In the United States it is on 30 March, the date of an early use of ether in surgery in 1842.

Doctors at work in an operating roomMogadishu, Somalia

How it grew over time

  1. 1882

    Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy is born on 1 July.

  2. 1961

    He is given the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.

  3. 1991

    India begins to keep 1 July as National Doctors' Day.

  4. Today

    Hospitals, clinics and families thank doctors with cards, flowers and events.

How it is celebrated in different places

  • India

    Hospitals hold health camps and honour senior doctors on 1 July.

  • United States

    Doctors' Day is on 30 March, often marked with a red carnation.

  • Other countries

    Many lands pick a date tied to their own famous doctors.

Doctors' Day moments

A doctor checks a patient with a stethoscope
A home visit to check blood pressure
A doctor reads a patient's notes
The stethoscope, the doctor's best known tool

Doctors' Day today

Today patients send a thank-you note or a kind message to the doctor who cared for them. Free health camps and blood donation drives are common on the day.

How people celebrate Doctors' Day

  • Thank you cards from patients
  • Hospital events
  • Flowers for the family doctor
  • Messages to doctor friends

How to wish well

  • Thank them for a specific moment of care if you can.
  • Keep it short; doctors read messages between patients.
  • Remember the doctors in your own family and friends.

Questions about Doctors' Day

When is Doctors' Day in India?

National Doctors' Day in India is on 1 July every year.

Why is Doctors' Day on 1 July?

It honours Dr. B. C. Roy, a renowned physician, who was born and died on 1 July.

When is Doctors' Day in the United States?

National Doctors' Day in the United States is on 30 March.

What do you write to a doctor on Doctors' Day?

Thank them for their care and patience, and wish them health and rest too.

What is a short Doctors' Day message?

"Thank you for healing with skill and kindness. Happy Doctors' Day."

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