Physiotherapists are not doctors, can't prefix Dr, orders health regulator DGHS

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has asked the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) to remove a provision in the new physiotherapy curriculum that allowed physiotherapists to use the prefix ‘Dr’. The order comes after objections from doctors’ associations, a TOI report stated.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation opposed the competency-based physiotherapy curriculum for 2025. The proposed curriculum recommended physiotherapists be permitted to use the prefix ‘Dr’ and the suffix ‘PT’.

Both associations said physiotherapists are not trained as medical doctors and using the prefix could mislead the public. They warned that the move may encourage quackery. "Physiotherapists should not be permitted primary care practice and should only treat referred patients as they are not trained to diagnose medical conditions, some of which may worsen with inappropriate physiotherapy intervention," they said.

IMA concerns

IMA national president Dr Dilip Bhanushali said the proposal created risks of physiotherapists prescribing medicines despite not being qualified medical professionals.

In her letter to the IMA, Dr Sunita Sharma, director of health services, referred to past court rulings and regulatory directives. She cited judgments of Patna and Madras High Courts and Bengaluru courts, along with orders from the Tamil Nadu Medical Council. The rulings stated that physiotherapists cannot practice modern medicine or use the prefix ‘Dr’ unless they are registered under state medical registers.

DGHS also obtained a legal opinion, which said that using ‘Dr’ without recognised medical qualifications would violate the Indian Medical Degrees Act. "A more appropriate and respectful title may be considered for graduates and postgraduates of physiotherapy, without causing ambiguity to patients or the public," Dr Sharma said.