April 28 — Ambulance Worker's Day: history, traditions, congratulations
Every year on April 28, Russia celebrates the Day of the Emergency Medical Worker, a professional holiday for doctors, paramedics, nurses and other specialists who are the first to come to the rescue in emergency situations. In 2026, the date falls on a Tuesday. Read about the history of the service, traditions, as well as who and how they congratulate on this date in the Izvestia article.
Emergency Medical Worker's Day – 2026: the history of the holiday
The holiday received its official status in 2020 at the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he announced at a meeting with regional heads on countering coronavirus. On the same day, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree fixing the date of April 28 for the celebration. It was on this day in 1898 that the first ambulance stations at the Sushchevsky and Sretensky police stations began operating in Moscow.
The history of the Russian ambulance has about 130 years. During this time, the service has gone from several horse-drawn carriages at police stations to one of the key emergency medicine systems operating around the clock throughout the country.
In the Russian Empire, until the end of the 19th century, people found on the street after accidents, fights, fires, or sudden bouts of illness were taken to police waiting rooms, hospitals, almshouses, and charitable institutions. Such assistance to the victims had not yet been allocated to a separate structure and depended on the proximity of the site, the hospital, and the availability of a doctor.
The turning point came on April 28, 1898, when the first ambulance stations began operating in Moscow at the Sushchevsky and Sretensky police stations. They had carriages for departure, portable sets of medicines, instruments and dressings. They were on duty around the clock, they were carried by a doctor, a paramedic and an orderly.
This city service was not yet an ambulance in the modern sense. Due to the limited number of brigades, poor communication and connection to police stations, she could not help all those who fell ill. Doctors accompanied law enforcement officers, "serviced" accidents, fights, fires and incidents on the street. But if a person became unwell at home, he could not call a doctor and, as a rule, was forced to go to the hospital on his own or with the help of relatives.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the system gradually expanded. In 1899, the first five ambulances appeared in St. Petersburg, and new stations were opened in Moscow at the Lefortovo, Tagansky and Yakimansky police stations, and later at the Presnenskaya unit. The Service was still closely linked to the city administration and the police, but its role was becoming broader. Doctors now not only accompanied the victims, but also provided assistance on the spot, which was a fundamentally new approach for that time.
After the revolution, the service received a new impetus for development. In 1919, an ambulance station at the Sheremetyevo Hospital began operating in Moscow. In 1923, it was headed by doctor Alexander Puchkov, one of the key figures in the history of Russian emergency medicine. It is his name that is associated with the transformation of the Moscow ambulance from a disparate patient transportation service into an organized system with clear rules, dispatching, regulations and constant analysis of calls.
During the Soviet period, the service became widespread and specialized. In 1926, the most important format for patients appeared — emergency care for the sick at home. The substation system was developing, the equipment of cars was improving, and the number of medical staff with higher education was increasing.
In the 1960s, specialized teams appeared - pediatric, neurological, toxicological, anti—shock, and cardiological. This made it possible to provide specialized care faster for heart attacks, strokes, poisoning, and severe injuries.
After the collapse of the USSR, the ambulance service was going through one of the most difficult stages of its history. In the 1990s, healthcare was being rebuilt against the backdrop of decentralizing management, financial shortages, and the transition to a new health insurance system. Many stations faced the same problems — fleet wear and tear, lack of equipment and personnel. At the same time, the model of round-the-clock emergency response remained, the teams continued to visit patients for free, and the ambulance remained the most accessible medical link for the population.
In the 2000s and 2010s, a gradual renewal of the service began, modern cars were purchased, unified dispatch systems were introduced, routing of patients with heart attacks, strokes and severe injuries developed, and ambulance communication with hospitals was strengthened.
There was a transition to a more technological, managed and specialized system, uniform rules for the work of the service, requirements for field teams, equipment, arrival dates and organization of emergency assistance were fixed at the federal level.
Modern emergency medical care in Russia is part of the primary healthcare system and one of the most sought—after medical services in the country, which includes about 1,900 stations and units. Dispatchers receive tens of millions of requests every year.
The "Procedure for emergency medical care" approved by the Ministry of Health stipulates that the time for the team to reach the patient should not exceed 20 minutes from the moment of the call. This requirement makes the service one of the most stressful in the healthcare system, as its employees work under conditions of time constraints, emotional stress and high responsibility.
Traditions of celebrating the Day of the Emergency Medical Worker
In honor of the holiday, solemn meetings, awards of the best employees, professional meetings, lectures and seminars are held in medical institutions. Master classes on first aid are organized for students of medical universities and colleges. Interviews with doctors and paramedics about the work of the ambulance from the inside are published in the media and social networks.
Educational campaigns are organized for the population, where specialists tell how to act in case of a heart attack, stroke, injuries, fainting and other urgent conditions, and also explain in which cases it is necessary to call an ambulance.
How and when to call an ambulance
Emergency medical services in Russia are available around the clock. The team is called in situations where a person's condition may be life—threatening and requires urgent medical intervention - for example, there is pressing or burning chest pain, heart failure, loss of consciousness, shortness of breath, severe bleeding, severe burns, acute abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting, childbirth or the threat of miscarriage.
You can call the following numbers:
- 103 — from a mobile phone;
- 112 — a single emergency number;
- 03 — from a landline phone.
During a conversation with the dispatcher, it is important to speak calmly and accurately state the following information:
- the main symptoms;
- the phone number from which the call is being received;
- the exact address of the patient: city, street, house, entrance, floor, intercom code;
- last name, first name, patronymic and age of the patient, if known.
After the call, it is advisable not to occupy a telephone line, but to prepare the patient's documents — a passport or other identity document, an MHI policy (if any), medical statements, test results, and a list of medications taken. It is also necessary to provide access to the apartment or house and, if possible, meet the team at the entrance. This helps doctors navigate faster and start providing assistance quickly, because the bill often runs for minutes.
Happy Ambulance Worker's Day — the best greetings
On April 28, congratulations are received by doctors, paramedics, nurses, orderlies, dispatchers, ambulance drivers, veterans of the service and everyone who provides emergency medicine. Izvestia has prepared several examples of wishes that can be shared on social networks and messengers.:
- "Congratulations on the Day of the Emergency Medical Worker! Your job is a combination of speed and precision. May you always have the psychological and professional resources to make the right decisions and maintain control over the situation in the most stressful moments. Let every challenge end with a life saved, reliable colleagues and grateful patients will always be there.";
- "Happy professional holiday! In an environment where minutes count, you know how to work accurately and with concentration. We wish you good health, endurance and patience. May the good that you give to people be returned to you with care, respect and support.";
- "Happy Ambulance Worker's Day! Thank you for your hard work! Let your hands not waver at an important moment, your decisions will be correct, your equipment will be in good working order, and your heart will stay warm even after the most difficult shifts.";
- "On Ambulance Worker's Day, we wish you strength, peace of mind and confidence so that routes are safe, patients are grateful, colleagues are reliable, and you are always welcomed at home with pride, warmth and love. May there be more bright news in your life than urgent calls";
- "Congratulations on the Day of the Emergency Medical Worker! Your job is about actions, not words. Let there be fewer critical situations, more confidence that everything is under control, and all efforts result in saved lives and restored health. Happy holidays, Service 03!"
Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history and traditions of Daughter's Day.
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