New Delhi: The Central Government has undone its ban on physiotherapists using the ‘Dr’ prefix just a day after the announcement, causing an enormous reaction among the medical community.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) made a call for rescission, pointing to the necessity of more detailed examination due to a large number of representations, hence moving the discussion into a state of suspense.
This story started on the Tuesday (September 9) when DGHS Director General Dr Sunita Sharma wrote a letter to Indian Medical Association (IMA) National President Dr Dilip Bhanushali. Referring to the Indian Medical Degrees Act, 1916, the letter prohibited physiotherapists from using the “Dr” title on the grounds that they did not undergo the required medical training. “Persons qualified in physiotherapy are not allowed to use the prefix ‘Dr’ under any conditions,” the letter stated, at the same time requiring the deletion of the references from the Competency Based Curriculum for Physiotherapy, Approved Syllabus 2025 document. It further recommended looking into other respectful titles to present the health professionals and the public clearly.
The action was prompted by loud protests from groups such as the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (IAPMR), who disputed that physiotherapists are healthcare workers and need no less than medical doctors. The DGHS supported its point of view by referring to the court judgements from Patna, Tamil Nadu, and Bengaluru, which had earlier endorsed the ban.
Despite this, the DGHS sent a letter to the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP), AIIMS Nagpur, and the IMA on Wednesday (September 10) stating the representations received on the issue needed to be looked at in detail and withdrew the letter, as it was the issue which required more discussion.
The controversy began when the NCAHP curriculum of 2025 included the doctor’s prefix along with PT for physiotherapists in order to raise their professional level. The recommendation contradicted the traditional medical hierarchy and caused discussions about the fairness of the use of titles in the allied health fields. The physiotherapists said it would show their doctoral-level expertise in the field of rehabilitation, while the opponents argued that it would confuse the patients when they look for the right doctor.
While this matter is still far from building a consensus among the stakeholders, the final decision is eagerly awaited. This event is one of the many examples of a situation where the healthcare professionals in the allied field are fighting for their rights in the middle of the strict regulatory framework in India.