The Orissa High Court has ordered the State government to issue a directive to all doctors to write post-mortem reports and prescriptions in capital letters or in legible handwriting.
The issue came to the fore during the hearing of a case regarding granting of ex gratia in a snakebite death. The post-mortem report was not legible.
“In many cases, the casual approach of most of 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,” observed Orissa High Court judge Justice S.K. Panigrahi in a recent order.
In the order, Justice Panigrahi mentioned, “The court directs the Chief Secretary to issue a direction to all the doctors of the State to write the post-mortem report and prescription in capital letters or in legible handwriting.”
“The tendency of writing in such zig zag handwriting, which cannot be read by any common man or by judicial officers, has become a fashion among the doctors of the State. Substantial number of doctors in the State resort to such handwriting, which cannot be read by any ordinary person. In such view of the matter, the Chief Secretary of the State is directed to issue a circular to all the medical centres, private clinics and medical colleges and hospitals, directing them to write in proper handwriting or in a typed form when they are prescribing medicines or writing some medico-legal reports,” he said in his order.
The single-judge Bench of the HC, however, acknowledged the professional burden faced by doctors.
“This court appreciates the services rendered by the medical professional during the COVID-19 period or during any kind of emergency situation. At the same time, it is generally felt that the medical prescriptions and medico-legal documents are written in bad handwriting, which affects the quality of appreciation of evidence in the judicial system. Hence, it is expected that 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 letters 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 judge remarked.
