Physiotherapists barred from using Dr prefix, government says they are not doctors
In a communication to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the DGHS highlighted objections raised by groups such as the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (IAPMR) regarding a clause in the Competency Based Curriculum for Physiotherapy, 2025.
PTC News Desk: The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has recommended revisions to the new physiotherapy curriculum to drop the use of the “Dr” prefix for physiotherapists, warning that it could create confusion and mislead patients.
In a communication to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the DGHS highlighted objections raised by groups such as the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (IAPMR) regarding a clause in the Competency Based Curriculum for Physiotherapy, 2025.
The curriculum, released in April, had proposed allowing physiotherapy graduates to use “Dr” before their names along with the suffix “PT.”
“Physiotherapists are not trained as medical doctors and, therefore, should not use the prefix “Dr”, as it misleads patients and general public, potentially leading to quackery,” Dr Sunita Sharma, Director General of Health Services, mentioned in the letter.
The DGHS stressed that physiotherapists are not trained as medical doctors and should not represent themselves as such. It clarified that physiotherapists are expected to practice on referral from physicians rather than act as primary care providers.
The ministry further noted that courts and medical councils have consistently ruled against physiotherapists using the “Dr” title. Rulings by the Patna High Court (2003), a Bengaluru court (2020), and the Madras High Court (2022), along with advisories from the Tamil Nadu Medical Council, have all reaffirmed that the prefix is reserved exclusively for registered medical practitioners.