'Doctor', 'Dr' not exclusive to medical professionals: Kerala HC
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Kochi (PTI): The Kerala High Court has dismissed pleas moved by medical professionals against the use of 'Dr' by physiotherapists and occupational therapists, saying the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act does not provide for use of the prefix by MBBS graduates.
Justice V G Arun said that the word 'doctor' was initially used for referring to someone who had achieved the highest level of learning and had received licence to teach in fields like theology, law and philosophy.
The court said that the term doctor originally meant a learned person qualified to teach, but gradually, with the advancement of medical science, university trained physicians -- holders of degrees in medicine -- began to be called doctors.
"Therefore, the contention that the title 'doctor' exclusively belongs to medical professionals is a misconception since even now, like in the olden times, persons with higher educational qualifications like PhD are entitled to use the title 'doctor'," the court said.
It further said that the NMC Act does not contain any provision for conferring the title doctor on qualified medical professionals.
The court also said that the expression title used in section 40 of the Kerala State Medical Practitioners Act cannot be understood as statutorily entitling the qualified medical professionals to prefix 'Dr' to their names.
"In the absence of such provision, the petitioners (doctors) cannot claim exclusive right to use the prefix 'Dr'," the court said.
It also declined to read down the provisions of the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Profession (NCAHP) Act, 2021, so as to confine the scope of discharge of professional services by physiotherapists and occupational therapists as a supporting group for the qualified medical professionals registered under the NMC Act.
The court said it would be inappropriate to "tinker" with the policy of the central government or read down the provisions of the NCAHP Act or the Competency Based Curriculum for Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy at the instance of a few medical professionals.
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Cristiano Ronaldo scores his 100th Saudi Pro League goal
Riyadh (AP): Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th Saudi Pro League goal as Al-Nassr beat Al-Shabab 4-2 to move five points clear at the top of the table.
The 41-year-old forward converted a Sadio Mané cross at the near post with 15 minutes remaining to record the 971st goal of his career on Thursday. It was also his 26th league goal of the season.
“Ronaldo is always dangerous going forward and we saw that again today,” Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus said.
João Félix, signed from Chelsea in July, scored three goals for the league leaders.
The win took Al-Nassr to 82 points from 32 games, five ahead of Al-Hilal, which has three matches, one more than Nassr, left to play. Al-Hilal meets Al-Kholood on Friday and faces Nassr on Tuesday in what could be a title decider against its Riyadh rival.
“Now we have a derby match against our rival, which is a difficult encounter,” Jesus said.
“We are fully aware of its importance, and we are dealing with it with complete focus as we know that small details could decide the result.”
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has yet to secure a major trophy in Saudi Arabia since signing with Al-Nassr in December 2022.
