The Kerala High Court has ruled that the title “Doctor” is not the exclusive preserve of medical practitioners and that qualified physiotherapists and occupational therapy professionals may use the prefix “Dr.” The Court dismissed multiple petitions that sought to restrict these professionals to a purely supportive role under doctors trained in modern medicine and to bar them from using the title. At the heart of the dispute was the argument that only those registered under medical laws could claim the “Dr” prefix. The Court disagreed, noting that neither the National Medical Commission Act nor related statutes grant medical professionals an exclusive legal right to the title.
It observed that “Doctor” historically denotes a learned person and has long been used by individuals with advanced academic qualifications, including PhD holders, beyond the field of medicine. The petitions arose…
