The Orissa High Court recently directed the state government to issue a circular directing doctors to write all prescriptions and post-mortem reports in legible handwriting, specifically in capital letters or in a typed form.
The order stated that the aforesaid direction will ensure that the judicial system does not suffer from unnecessary fatigue in reading those documents. The High Court’s direction followed after Justice S K Panigrahi found it difficult to decide a case, as the post-mortem examination report annexed in the petition was not legible and could not be comprehended.
A petitioner had approached the Orissa High Court seeking a direction to the government to consider his representation for ex-gratia assistance as his elder son died due to snakebite. Reportedly, in compliance with an earlier order, the doctor who had written the post-mortem examination report appeared before the High Court through virtual mode, in order to read out the incomprehensible document and voiced his opinion. Consecutively, the Orissa High Court was able to realize that it was a snakebite case and adjudicated over it.
During the hearing, Justice Panigrahi observed in his order that in many cases, the casual approach of most of the doctors while writing the post-mortem reports, is affecting comprehension of medico-legal cases very badly and the judicial system finds it difficult to read those reports to come to a definite conclusion.
Justice S K Panigrahi further stated that the tendency of writing such zigzag handwriting, which cannot be read by a common man or judicial officers, has become a fashion among doctors of the state.
Following, the Orissa High Court passed an order on January 4 directing the Chief Secretary, State of Orissa to issue directions to all doctors of the state to write post-mortem reports and prescriptions in capital letters or in legible handwriting.