Orissa HC Order To Govt: Ensure That Doctors Write Prescriptions In Legible Handwriting

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has directed the state government to ensure that the doctors write their prescriptions in clear handwriting or capital letters.

Justice SK Panigrahi of the High Court issued the order after hearing a petition, filed by Rasananda Bhoi of Hindol in Denkanal district, on September 25, 2023. The petition pertained to the death of Rasanand’s elder son Souvagya Ranjan Bhoi of snakebite.

Justice Panigrahi directed the chief secretary to issue a circular to government and private medical colleges and hospitals in the state to ensure that the doctors should write the names of medicines clearly or in capital letters in prescriptions. It should also be followed in case of post-mortem reports.

On the report written by Dr Biswaranjan Pati after conducting the post-mortem on Souvagya through virtual mode, Justice Panigrahi said he has written something which is not legible and cannot be comprehended in ordinary course of reading unless the writer himself or handwriting expert is invited to examine such description.

“In many cases, the casual approach of most of the doctors while writing the post-mortem report is affecting the comprehension of medico-legal documents badly and the judicial system finds it very difficult to read those letters and come to a definite conclusion,” he stated.

“This Court directs the Chief Secretary, State of Odisha to issue direction to all doctors of the state to write the post-mortem report and prescription in capital letter or in legible handwriting. Moreover, the tendency of writing such zigzag handwriting, which cannot be read by any common man or by judicial officers, has become a fashion among the doctors,” the Justice observed.

The HC asked the chief secretary to issue a circular to all the medical centers, private clinics and medical colleges and hospitals directing them to write in proper handwriting or in a typed form when they are prescribing medicine or writing some medico-legal reports.