Kerala High Court Rules Against "Dr" Prefix Use by Physiotherapists Without Medical Degrees

The Kerala High Court has issued an interim directive stating that physiotherapists and occupational therapists are prohibited from using the "Dr" prefix unless they possess a recognized medical degree.

Justice V G Arun delivered this ruling in response to a petition filed by the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (IAPMR). The association sought to prevent physiotherapists and occupational therapists from presenting themselves as primary healthcare providers.

The court has requested responses from several entities including the Ministry of Health, the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP), the State Allied and Healthcare Council, and the National Medical Commission (NMC) regarding the IAPMR petition.

In its petition, IAPMR additionally requested directives specifying that physiotherapists and occupational therapists should maintain supporting roles within the healthcare system rather than acting as independent practitioners.

The court highlighted that on September 9, 2025, the Union Health Ministry had issued a notification mandating the immediate removal of the "Dr" prefix for physiotherapists in the Competency Based Curriculum for Physiotherapy-Approved Syllabus, 2025. This decision was based on the fact that physiotherapists using the title "Doctor" without recognized medical qualifications would violate the Indian Medical Degrees Act of 1916.

However, the court also noted that this September 9 notification was subsequently withdrawn by the ministry through another notification issued just one day later on September 10.

"Hence, there shall be a direction to the competent authorities to ensure that the prefix 'Dr' mentioned in Exts P1 (Competency Based Curriculum for Physiotherapy-Approved Syllabus, 2025) and P1(a) (Competency Based Curriculum for Occupational Therapy-Approved Syllabus, 2025) is not used by physiotherapists and occupational therapists without a recognised medical qualification," the court stated.

The court has scheduled the next hearing of this matter for December 1.