AIIMS Delhi doctors told to use Hindi in prescriptions, sparks debate

New Delhi: In a major step to promote the use of Hindi and make medical communication easier for patients, the Union Health Ministry has directed doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, to use Hindi while prescribing medicines and in their day-to-day work as much as possible.

As per several local media reports, AIIMS has instructed its doctors to write prescriptions in Hindi instead of English so that patients can easily understand their medicines and instructions. This change aims to help the general public, especially those from rural areas who often struggle to read English prescriptions.

AIIMS Delhi treats around 15,000 to 18,000 patients daily, most of whom come from rural backgrounds. Many of them, including elderly and less-educated patients, find it difficult to read English medical names and directions. The Health Ministry believes using Hindi will solve this problem.

Also read- Hyderabad doctors' associations demand legible prescriptions for patient safety

The Ministry also stated that medical textbooks will now be available in Hindi and that research in the language will be encouraged. However, using Hindi will remain optional for now. Students who do not know Hindi will not be forced to use it. The main aim is to make health services more accessible to everyone, reports India.com

According to the order as reported by Zee News, letters received in English should be replied to in Hindi as far as possible, with an English translation added only if needed. Letterheads and visiting cards must be printed in both Hindi and English, and official notes, comments, and service book entries should be made in Hindi.

The directive further mentions that Hindi medical books should be purchased, and research in the language should be promoted. It advises using standard Hindi technical terms without unnecessary translation, referring to spellings and vocabularies approved by the Technical and Terminology Commission and the Central Hindi Directorate.

Hindi should also be preferred in meetings and other official work. Doctors who conduct or present research in Hindi or in both Hindi and English will be encouraged and honoured for their contributions.

However, the move has disappointed several AIIMS students who say it will be difficult to complete their entire course in Hindi since most medical terms are commonly used in English.

A doctor on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) criticised the government for issuing such a directive at a time when doctors’ safety is vulnerable and cases of assault are rising. He said that instead of fixing real problems in medical colleges and hospitals, the government keeps coming up with such “bogus ideas.”

He said that medical students are committing suicide, hospitals are understaffed, faculties are leaving, resident doctors are collapsing under a 36-48 hours workload, essential drugs are in short supply, violence against doctors is increasing, and primary health infrastructure in many areas is falling apart, but the government is busy enforcing such rules.

Commenting on his post, another doctor said, "Every doctor is taught all MBBS subjects in English. Pharmacology ( drugs mechanism of action/ side effects and contraindications ) is taught in English. Then, u expect all doctors to write in Hindi. MBBS needs to be taught in Hindi / Sanskrit."

"What's the problem when the pharmacist easily understands and provides appropriate dosage to the patient with the English version? This was not even an issue in the first place!" said a user.