No More ‘Zig-Zag’ Handwriting, Odisha Govt Instructs Doctors After HC Order

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has issued a direction, instructing doctors across the state to write postmortem reports and prescription in capital letters or in legible handwriting.

This followed an Orissa High Court directive in which it had directed the health department to ensure that doctors write all prescriptions, postmortem reports and other documentation in legible handwriting, if possible, in capital letters or in a typed form. The issue came to the fore when Justice S K Panigrahi found it difficult to decide a case, pertaining to granting of ex-gratia in a snakebite death, as the postmortem report annexed in the petition was not legible and could not be comprehended.

Following a “zig-zag” handwriting has become a norm among doctors, which makes it difficult for common man and the judiciary to read those documents. This will ensure that the judicial system does not suffer from “unnecessary fatigue” in reading those documents, the order said.

“In view of the court order, all concerned both in government & private health sectors are instructed to ensure the following directions while writing prescription and medico legal reports,” the notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department on Thursday said.

All registered medical practitioners, medical officers of state-run healthy facilities, private clinics and medical colleges have been asked to write prescription in proper legible handwriting or in typed form as per guidelines of National Medical Commission (Chapter 2-4B/Notification dated May 23, 2022). “The medico legal reports and postmortem reports are to be written either in capital letter or in a typed form or in good legible handwriting to ensure appreciation of evidence in the
judicial system and to be uploaded in MLOS,” it said.

This will come into force with immediate effect, it added.