Govt Bans Physiotherapists from Using ‘Doctor’ Tag, UDF Hails Move
New Delhi/Chandigarh,September 10:
Physiotherapists across India can no longer call themselves “doctors.”
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has issued a clear directive today banning the use of the title, a move welcomed by the United Doctors Front (UDF), which has long been pressing for action against what it calls “rampant misuse” in physiotherapy centres across the country.
DGHS chief Dr. Sunita Sharma said physiotherapists are not trained medical doctors and using the prefix “Dr” misleads patients. “Unlike MBBS doctors, they do not undergo clinical training to diagnose or treat patients independently.
Wrongful assessments and treatments pose a serious risk to public health,” her letter states.
The directive cites multiple legal precedents, including orders and advisories from Patna High Court, Madras High Court, Tamil Nadu Medical Council, and a Bangalore court ruling, all backing the restriction.
From the 2025 physiotherapy curriculum onwards, the “doctor” prefix has been barred, with the government considering alternative titles for the profession.
UDF Chairperson Dr. Lakshya Mittal called it a much-needed corrective step.
“This will help clear the confusion among citizens. In recent years, mixopathy and quacks parading as doctors have severely damaged the credibility of India’s healthcare system,” he said.
Mittal warned that in states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar, fake registrations and clinics run by unqualified practitioners continue unchecked, while state medical councils and even the National Medical Commission (NMC) have failed to act decisively.
UDF has urged hospitals and private clinics to immediately strip physiotherapists of the “doctor” title and warned that continued misuse would be flagged as professional misconduct.
“This isn’t just about titles—it’s about protecting patients from being misled by those who pretend to be what they are not,” Mittal said.
#HealthRegulation #NoFakeDoctors #PatientSafety #UDF
