{"id":6639,"date":"2026-01-25T15:33:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T10:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/?p=6639"},"modified":"2026-01-25T22:28:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T16:58:14","slug":"dr-keralahc-verdict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/25\/dr-keralahc-verdict\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cDr.\u201d Is Not a Decoration \u2014 It\u2019s a Responsibility: Why the Kerala HC Verdict Needs Urgent Ethical Reconsideration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-4-1024x683.png\" alt=\"Dr\" class=\"wp-image-6640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-4-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-4-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-4-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-4.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The recent Kerala High Court decision permitting physiotherapists and occupational therapists to use the \u201cDr.\u201d prefix has sparked serious concern among ethical medical practitioners and healthcare stakeholders across India. While the judgment attempts to justify its position through historical and academic interpretations of the word \u201cdoctor,\u201d it fails to address the most critical issue in modern healthcare: <strong>public safety, patient clarity, and clinical accountability.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not a fight of ego. This is a fight to protect patients from confusion, misrepresentation, and dangerous overlaps in clinical practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#1-doctor-in-healthcare-is-not-just-a-word-its-a-public-trust\">1. \u201cDoctor\u201d in Healthcare Is Not Just a Word \u2014 It\u2019s a Public Trust<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#2-the-verdict-ignores-the-core-difference-clinical-doctor-vs-academic-doctor\">2. The Verdict Ignores the Core Difference: \u201cClinical Doctor\u201d vs \u201cAcademic Doctor\u201d<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#should-someone-who-is-not-trained-in-medicine-use-dr-in-a-clinical-setting-where-patients-assume-they-are-an-mbbs-md-doctor\">Should someone who is not trained in medicine use \u201cDr.\u201d in a clinical setting where patients assume they are an MBBS\/MD doctor?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#3-the-nmc-act-doesnt-grant-mbbs-the-title-is-a-weak-argument\">3. \u201cThe NMC Act Doesn\u2019t Grant MBBS the Title\u201d Is a Weak Argument<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#4-this-will-increase-misrepresentation-even-if-unintentional\">4. This Will Increase Misrepresentation \u2014 Even If Unintentional<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#5-the-patients-right-to-know-comes-first\">5. The Patient\u2019s Right to Know Comes First<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#6-physiotherapy-deserves-respect-but-not-through-borrowed-identity\">6. Physiotherapy Deserves Respect \u2014 But Not Through Borrowed Identity<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#conclusion-the-prefix-dr-must-not-become-a-tool-for-confusion\">Conclusion: The Prefix \u201cDr.\u201d Must Not Become a Tool for Confusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-doctor-in-healthcare-is-not-just-a-word-its-a-public-trust\"><strong>1. \u201cDoctor\u201d in Healthcare Is Not Just a Word \u2014 It\u2019s a Public Trust<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>In today\u2019s world, the term <strong>\u201cDoctor\u201d<\/strong> is not understood by the public as a scholar, teacher, or philosopher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A common patient doesn\u2019t interpret \u201cDr. XYZ\u201d as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a PhD holder<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>a doctorate in research<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>an academic title<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>They interpret it as:<br>\u2705 <strong>a medical doctor<\/strong><br>\u2705 <strong>someone qualified to diagnose disease<\/strong><br>\u2705 <strong>someone trained to prescribe medicines<\/strong><br>\u2705 <strong>someone responsible for life-and-death decisions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not an assumption \u2014 it is the lived reality of Indian healthcare.<br>Patients do not walk into clinics with legal dictionaries. They walk in with pain, fear, and trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And in healthcare, <strong>trust without clarity becomes vulnerability.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-the-verdict-ignores-the-core-difference-clinical-doctor-vs-academic-doctor\"><strong>2. The Verdict Ignores the Core Difference: \u201cClinical Doctor\u201d vs \u201cAcademic Doctor\u201d<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, historically the word \u201cdoctor\u201d meant \u201cteacher.\u201d<br>Yes, PhD holders are entitled to use \u201cDr.\u201d in academic contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the question is not whether someone can be called a doctor in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The question is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"should-someone-who-is-not-trained-in-medicine-use-dr-in-a-clinical-setting-where-patients-assume-they-are-an-mbbs-md-doctor\"><strong>Should someone who is not trained in medicine use \u201cDr.\u201d in a clinical setting where patients assume they are an MBBS\/MD doctor?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>That is the ethical problem this verdict overlooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A physiotherapist may be highly skilled and essential to rehabilitation.<br>But they are <strong>not trained<\/strong> to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>diagnose complex medical conditions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>handle medical emergencies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>prescribe drugs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>manage systemic diseases<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>interpret medical investigations independently<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Giving them the same visible identity marker (\u201cDr.\u201d) in a hospital\/clinic environment creates <strong>avoidable confusion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-pale-ocean-gradient-background has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-f1c9939dca96199b63110473c30d1018\"><em>&#8220;The &#8216;dr.&#8217; title is the most misused title in India . Why ? Because i see these days everyone is getting it and this creates a confusion in general public since they use it for commercial purposes .<br>Tomorrow if a nursing officer or a chiropractor or a technician comes to get the dr. title they shouldn\u2019t be refused because they are equally skilled in their work.&#8221; Said Dr. Dhruv Chauhan (IMA JDN, Spokesperson).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-the-nmc-act-doesnt-grant-mbbs-the-title-is-a-weak-argument\"><strong>3. \u201cThe NMC Act Doesn\u2019t Grant MBBS the Title\u201d Is a Weak Argument<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>The judgment reportedly mentions that the National Medical Commission Act does not explicitly confer the title \u201cDoctor\u201d on MBBS graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that logic is flawed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because by that reasoning:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Even \u201cSurgeon\u201d is not just a title granted by an Act.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Even \u201cPhysician\u201d is not a word copyrighted by law.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet in practice, <strong>medical licensing, scope of practice, and professional identity are defined by training and legal authorization to treat.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>MBBS graduates are \u201cdoctors\u201d not because an Act gifts them the prefix, but because they undergo:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>5.5 years of formal training<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>hospital-based clinical exposure<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>internship with emergency duties<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>licensing requirements<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>accountability under medical negligence laws and medical ethics codes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The identity \u201cDoctor\u201d in healthcare is inseparable from <strong>medical licensure and responsibility<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-this-will-increase-misrepresentation-even-if-unintentional\"><strong>4. This Will Increase Misrepresentation \u2014 Even If Unintentional<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Most physiotherapists do not want to deceive patients. Many are ethical professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the reality is:<br><strong>Once the prefix becomes normalised, misuse becomes inevitable.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In India, we already face the crisis of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>fake doctors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>quacks using \u201cDr.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>unregulated clinics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>misleading advertisements<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>unqualified prescription practices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Now imagine adding another layer of confusion where patients cannot differentiate between:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dr. (MBBS)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dr. (BPT\/MPT)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dr. (PhD)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dr. (Alternative medicine)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The victim in this confusion is always the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-5-1024x683.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6641\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-5-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-5-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-5-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-5.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-the-patients-right-to-know-comes-first\"><strong>5. The Patient\u2019s Right to Know Comes First<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Healthcare is not like other fields. In a courtroom, titles do not treat patients.<br>In real life, <strong>patients make decisions based on the perceived qualification of the person in front of them.<\/strong> If \u201cDr.\u201d becomes a blanket prefix in clinical spaces, that right gets diluted. This violates the spirit of ethical practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-physiotherapy-deserves-respect-but-not-through-borrowed-identity\"><strong>6. Physiotherapy Deserves Respect \u2014 But Not Through Borrowed Identity<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Physiotherapy is a strong, scientific profession. It should be respected for what it is. But the solution is not to blur boundaries. The solution is to strengthen physiotherapy councils, increase public awareness, promote physiotherapists as independent rehab experts, give them better pay, recognition, and regulation, Not by giving a title that the public associates with <strong>medical diagnosis and treatment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"conclusion-the-prefix-dr-must-not-become-a-tool-for-confusion\"><strong>Conclusion: The Prefix \u201cDr.\u201d Must Not Become a Tool for Confusion<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>The Kerala High Court verdict may be legally reasoned through historical definitions, but healthcare cannot be run on etymology. If the title \u201cDr.\u201d is allowed to become a general badge in clinical spaces, it will weaken trust, increase confusion, and open doors for misrepresentation \u2014 the exact opposite of what a safe healthcare system needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For more updates, follow&nbsp;<\/strong>us on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">X (Twitter)<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Med-College-Darshan\/61559007482232\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a>. And our website&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/\">MED COLLEGE DARSHAN<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"585\" src=\"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2-1024x585.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6625\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2-1024x585.png 1024w, https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2-300x171.png 300w, https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2-768x439.png 768w, https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The recent Kerala High Court decision permitting physiotherapists and occupational therapists to use the \u201cDr.\u201d prefix has sparked serious concern among ethical medical practitioners and healthcare stakeholders across India. While the judgment attempts to justify its position through historical and academic interpretations of the word \u201cdoctor,\u201d it fails to address the most critical issue in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"saved_in_kubio":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_glsr_average":0,"_glsr_ranking":0,"_glsr_reviews":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[13,1439,1442,1440,12,1441],"class_list":["post-6639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-treding","tag-doctor","tag-dr","tag-is-physiotherapist-a-doctor","tag-kerala-high-court-on-dr","tag-mbbs","tag-physiotherapist"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6639"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6646,"href":"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6639\/revisions\/6646"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medcollegedarshan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}