It’s not easy being a doctor. Their education is considerably tough and every decision they take holds a lot of stakes. And given how they’ve the capability to save lives, doctors are revered in our society. However, even though they’ve steady hands, they’re heavily criticised for their bad handwriting, and rightfully so.
According to the Times of India, a Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court took three doctors to task for their horrible handwriting. One of the lawyers said,
“The medico-legal report, if given clearly, can either endorse the incident as given by the eyewitnesses or can disprove the incident to a great extent. This is possible if a detailed and clear medico-legal report is furnished by the doctors, with complete responsibility.”
The matter of the doctors’ handwriting came up because of the medico-legal report that they had written for three separate criminal cases that came up for hearing last week. And the injury report of the victims from Unnao, Sitapur and Gonda district hospitals were illegible because the handwriting was “very poor”.
That’s why Dr. TP Jaiswal of Unnao, Dr. PK Goel of Sitapur and Dr. Ashish Saxena of Gonda was called up as their medical report was considered an obstruction of the court’s work. The bench observed that,
The bench of Justice Ajai Lamba and Justice Sanjay Harkauli imposed a fine of ₹5000 each and asked them to deposit in the court’s library. The doctors did plead that they were too overburdened to write legible prescriptions. That’s why the court advised them to switch to computer-typed reports, so that they don’t make such mistakes in the future.
Netizens lauded this decision by the Allahabad High Court and hoped this is a sign of change because it’s about time doctors started writing legibly.
1. You’re not alone.
I have experienced twice that the pharmacist was unable to understand the handwriting #civilhospital https://t.co/QyDP1C0cVa @timesofindia
— Sid dalvi (@sidspeaksup) October 4, 2018
2. Some made the right choice beforehand.
Glad I never became a doctor. I would have been in jail by now! #badhandwriting pic.twitter.com/7fpbzbSWFZ
— Daniel Anandaraj (@dodosamuel) October 4, 2018
3. That’s a good idea.
Please do this everywhere.
— 4M33R (@Am33rF4r00q) October 5, 2018
4. Let them that the law is coming for them.
I know about 10 more that should be fined
— • MeMyselfAnd i • (@x0x0x0x0x0x0x) October 5, 2018
5. Hopefully.
Can we make this a worldwide thing
— mexican vanilla (@65spencerave) October 5, 2018
6. It’s worse than the puzzles Indiana Jones faces.
Doctor's bad handwriting effectively makes us not to understand what's the diagnosis and prescription. Going to docs is often like giving a blank signed cheque. Kudos to Allahabad HC https://t.co/vz627J75xh
— MenjiJamir (@JamirMenji) October 6, 2018
7. Well, at least you tried.
Note to self: don’t become a practicing DPT in Allahabad, India 🖊🗒.
10 years later: I get arrested because I couldn’t read my hand written note to self. https://t.co/T6U9PY8VLD
— Edgar Jimenez (@RunPatoRun) October 5, 2018
If you think this has come out of nowhere, it has not. This decision was made based on a circular issued by UP director general in November 2012, and the court is simply upholding that rule. Let’s hope the Allahabad High Court’s action echoes throughout the country and urges doctors to join handwriting classes.