Write medical prescriptions, postmortem reports in legible handwriting: Orissa High Court to doctors

The Orissa High Court recently directed the Odisha Chief Secretary to issue directions to all doctors to write medical prescriptions and medico-legal documents like post-mortem reports in legible handwriting [Rasa @ Rasananda Bhoi v. State of Odisha & Ors]..Justice SK Panigrahi said that the tendency of writing in “zigzag handwriting” has become a “fashion” among the doctors and cannot be read by common man or judicial officers.“In such view of the matter, the Chief Secretary of the State is directed 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,” the Court ordered.The Court passed the directions while disposing of a petition for a decision on a man’s representation for ex-gratia assistance in a snake bite case. The petitioner’s elder son had died due to snake bite..The direction to the doctors was passed after the Court could not comprehend the postmortem report in the case before it. It had sought the doctor’s presence to understand the report.The Court noted that such writing by doctors “cannot be comprehended in ordinary course of reading unless the writer himself or handwriting expert is invited to examine such description.”It remarked that in many cases, the “casual approach” of most of the doctors in writing the postmortem report is affecting the comprehension of medico-legal documents badly and the judicial system finds it difficult to come to a definite conclusion..The Court acknowledged the busy schedule of medical professionals and appreciated the services rendered by them during the COVID-19 period.However, it also observed that it is generally felt that medical prescriptions and medico-legal documents are written in “bad handwriting” which affects the quality of appreciation of evidence in the courts. “Hence, it is expected that any doctors, who are dealing with medico-legal issues and writing casually with very poor handwriting, are required to change their attitude and write either in capital letter or in a typed form or in good handwriting so that the judicial system does not suffer from unnecessary fatigue in reading their handwriting,” the Court stressed..In the snake bite case before it, the Court directed the petitioner to approach the Tahasildar by way of filing of a form prescribed for such cases and seek the compensation from the appropriate authority.The authorities were directed to consider and dispose of the application in accordance with law within a period of one month after receiving it. Advocate PK Nayak represented the petitioner.Advocate GR Mohapatra represented the State..[Read Order]