Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 11: The Director General of Health Services (DGHS) has issued a directive stating that physiotherapists are not entitled to use the prefix ‘Dr’, which is reserved exclusively for registered medical practitioners.

The clarification comes after several representations and objections from medical organisations, including the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, over physiotherapists using the ‘Dr’ prefix and ‘PT’ suffix.

The DGHS noted that physiotherapists are not trained as medical doctors and should not present themselves as such, as it could mislead patients and the public, potentially encouraging quackery. It further stressed that physiotherapists are not permitted to practice as primary care providers and should only treat referred patients, as they are not qualified to diagnose medical conditions.

Citing earlier court rulings and medical council advisories, the directive pointed out that the title ‘Doctor’ may only be used by registered practitioners of modern medicine, Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, and Unani. Any physiotherapist using the title without recognised medical qualifications would be violating the Indian Medical Degrees Act, 1916.