NEW DELHI, June 30 — On the eve of National Doctors’ Day, four physicians have offered a rare glimpse into how they manage their own health, and the picture that emerges is less about rigid regimens and more about honest, small-scale discipline. India observes Doctors’ Day on July 1 each year, marking the birth and death anniversary of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, the physician and former Chief Minister of West Bengal.
This year’s theme, according to organisers, is “Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers?” — a question that turns the spotlight back onto those who typically do the asking. TOI Health spoke to four specialists: a pulmonologist, a paediatric gastroenterologist, a paediatrician, and a head and neck oncologist.
What they described, officials said, was not a list of superfoods or elaborate morning rituals. It was something more grounded than that. Dr. Vikas Mittal, Director and Pulmonologist at CK Birla Hospital in Delhi, approaches health as a series of small, consistent choices rather than a destination.
“Achieving good health does not come through shortcuts,” he said. “It comes from establishing small, consistent habits that become part of your normal routine.” According to the account, Dr. Mittal aims for at least eight hours of sleep each night and cuts off screen time an hour before bed.
His diet leans low-carb and high-protein, he said, and he rides his bike to the gym — a detail that underscores his preference for integrating movement into daily life rather than treating exercise as a separate chore. The broader conversation among the four doctors reflects a profession grappling with stress, exhaustion, grief, and the emotional weight of making life-changing decisions every day. The account indicates that behind the white coat and the calm voice is a person who also deals with these pressures, often without a clear support system.
National Doctors’ Day, officials said, is intended to recognise the people who stand beside patients during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. This year’s theme pushes that recognition one step further, asking who stands beside the healers themselves. The responses from the four doctors suggest that the answer, at least for now, is often themselves — through routines built on sleep, diet, and deliberate physical activity rather than any quick fix or prescription pad. Consult your doctor for medical advice.
