Punjab and Haryana High Court emphasized that patients have the right to receive legible medical prescriptions. The Court warned doctors that unclear handwriting can harm patients, underlining the importance of clear and readable medical instructions.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court affirmed that patients have the right to receive medical prescriptions that are clear and legible, emphasizing that a doctor’s handwriting can significantly affect a patient’s well-being.
This issue arose during the hearing of a bail application in a case involving accusations of rape, fraud, and forgery.
While reviewing the medico-legal report, Justice Jasburpreet Singh Puri found the handwriting completely illegible.
Expressing his concern, the judge remarked in his order,
“The conscience of the court was shaken by the fact that not a single word or letter in the report was legible.”
To highlight the seriousness of the situation, Justice Puri attached a copy of the report to the verdict.
The court stressed that understanding medical instructions is a fundamental aspect of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
It further declared that “doctors’ illegible handwriting constitutes a threat to patients’ lives and mandated that all prescriptions be written in large, clear capital letters until a comprehensive digital prescription system is established.”
Additionally, the court instructed the government to include handwriting training in medical curricula and to implement a nationwide digital system within two years.
Justice Puri criticized the reliance on handwritten prescriptions in an era where technology and computers are readily available, noting that it is astonishing that government doctors still resort to this practice, which only a few pharmacists can decipher.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has responded with cautious support to the ruling.
Dr. Dilip Bhanushali, President of the IMA, stated to the BBC,
“We are ready for a solution.”
He acknowledged that while urban hospitals and larger cities have largely adopted digital prescriptions, challenges remain in smaller towns and rural areas.
He remarked,
“It’s a well-known fact that many doctors have poor handwriting, but that’s because most medical practitioners are very busy, especially in overcrowded government hospitals,”
He also added,
“We have recommended to our members to follow the government guidelines and write prescriptions in bold letters that should be readable to both patients and chemists. A doctor who sees seven patients a day can do it, but if you see 70 patients a day, you can’t do it.”
With this landmark ruling, the High Court has highlighted that the quality of medical treatment should never be compromised by something as fundamental as handwriting.
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