Vaishnavi Shukla | September 11, 2025 | 04:46 PM IST | 2 mins read
As per DGHS, the issue arises from the competency-based curriculum published by NCAHP for physiotherapy under the ministry of health and family welfare.
The director general of health services (DGHS) has issued a directive to the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) stating physiotherapists are not entitled to use the prefix "Dr" and that it is reserved only for registered medical practitioners. The issue arises from the competency-based curriculum published by NCAHP for physiotherapy under the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW).
In a letter to the Indian Medical Association (IMA) president Dilip Bhanushali, DGHS Sunita Sharma said the directorate has received several representations and objections from various organisations, including the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (IAPMR), regarding the use of the prefix "Dr" and suffix "PT" by physiotherapists.
Highlighting the points of concern, Sharma said in the letter that physiotherapists are not trained as medical doctors and, therefore, should not use the prefix "Dr" as it misleads patients and the general public, potentially leading to quackery.
"Physiotherapists should not be permitted to practice primary care and should only treat referred patients as they are not trained to diagnose medical conditions, some of which may worsen with inappropriate physiotherapy intervention," the official statement said.
Also read NCAHP urges adoption of curricula for 10 allied healthcare courses by 2026-27
Sharma also said that this recommendation goes against the decisions made by different courts and the guidelines given by medical councils in the country. She also cited some of the important rulings, including a 2003 judgment of the Patna High Court that held that unless physiotherapists are enrolled in the State Medical Register, they cannot practise modern medicine or use the prefix "Dr".
"It is hereby directed that the usage of the prefix 'Dr' for physiotherapists in the Competency Based Curriculum for Physiotherapy Approved Syllabus 2025 be removed forthwith. A more appropriate and respectful title may be considered for graduates and postgraduates of physiotherapy, without causing ambiguity to patients or the public," it added.
With inputs from PTI
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