Kerala HC upholds ‘Dr’ prefix for physiotherapists, occupational therapists

Doctor

• Kerala HC permits physiotherapists, occupational therapists to use "Dr" title
• Court ruled no law gives exclusive right to "Dr" title to medical practitioners
• Physiotherapists celebrate verdict recognizing their professional status

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In a landmark verdict that clarifies the scope of a professional honorific, the Kerala High Court has held that the prefix “Dr” is not the exclusive preserve of registered medical practitioners. The court has ruled that qualified physiotherapists and occupational therapists are also entitled to use the title.

Justice V G Arun delivered the judgment while dismissing petitions filed by the Kerala State branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and others. The petitions had challenged the use of the “Dr” prefix by physiotherapists and occupational therapists, as well as a Competency-Based Curriculum that permitted its use with the suffixes “PT” for physiotherapists and “OT” for occupational therapists.

The medical bodies had contended that physiotherapists and occupational therapists provide only “supportive services” under the instruction of a qualified doctor and are not “first-contact healthcare providers.” They argued that the curriculum equated these professionals with medical practitioners, which they claimed was misleading.

However, the court found these arguments lacked a statutory basis. In its ruling, the bench noted the etymological origin of the term ‘doctor’ from the Latin word for ‘teacher’ or ‘instructor.’ Crucially, it observed that neither the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act nor other allied statutes contain any provision conferring an exclusive right to the title “Doctor” upon medical practitioners.

“In the absence of such statutory provisions, the petitioners could not claim an exclusive right to use the prefix ‘Dr’,” the court held, leading to the dismissal of the petitions.

The decision has been warmly welcomed by the physiotherapy community. The Indian Association of Physiotherapists (IAP) stated the judgment enhances recognition of its members as primary healthcare professionals.

IAP President, Prof. Dr Sanjiv K. Jha, described the verdict as “far-reaching for health care delivery in India” and “a decisive step forward for lakhs of practising physiotherapists and physiotherapy students nationwide.”

He framed the ruling as more than a legal victory, calling it a “collective achievement” that formally recognises the “independent professional identity, autonomy and dignity of physiotherapists across India.” According to Prof. Jha, the order reinforces their significant role in disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and functional restoration.

The court’s decision brings judicial finality to an issue that saw even the Union Health Ministry revise its stance. In September last year, the ministry initially stated physiotherapists could not use the “Dr” prefix, but later reversed its position to permit its use.