Meet Tapan Kumar Lahiri: The Indian doctor who treats patients for free

Who is Tapan Kumar Lahiri? He’s a cardiothoracic surgeon, medical academic, and author from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

India honoured him with the Padma Shri — the country’s fourth-highest civilian award — in 2016 for his contributions to medicine.

What’s less known is his charitable work. Lahiri provides free medical treatment at Banaras Hindu University, where he has long offered his services at no cost.

Since 1994, he had been donating his salary to support the poor, and after retirement, he began contributing a significant portion of his pension to help underprivileged patients through the university.

His selfless acts recently gained renewed attention online after a social media post from India’s Union Public Service Commission. One Instagram user commented: “He doesn’t need recognition from those who lack honesty. God sees everything and will reward what’s done with a pure heart, in His time.”