New Delhi: In a major policy reversal, the Central Government has barred physiotherapists from using the honorific “Doctor” with their names. The order, issued on September 9 by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), comes after repeated appeals from the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
The IMA argued that physiotherapists adopting the “Dr.” prefix violates the Indian Medical Degrees Act, 1916, and could mislead patients. Physiotherapy, which treats patients through exercises, movements, and machines rather than medicines, is recognized as a separate healthcare system.
Welcoming the move, IMA National President Dr. Dilip Bansal called it a “big win” for the medical community and a step towards preventing confusion among the public.
Interestingly, the decision overturns an April 2025 guideline by the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP), which had allowed physiotherapists to use “Dr.” as a prefix along with “PT” as a suffix. With this new directive, that concession stands cancelled.
