In a significant move aimed at improving patient safety and reducing medication errors, the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) of Haryana has issued a directive mandating that all diagnoses and prescriptions be written in capital or bold letters. This order, effective immediately, applies to all registered medical practitioners in government and private hospitals, clinics, and health centres across the state.
The directive follows a landmark ruling by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which declared that legible medical prescriptions are an integral part of a patient’s Fundamental Right to Health under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The court’s decision was prompted by a case where a medico-legal report was found to be completely illegible,
highlighting a long-standing issue within the medical community. The court observed that unclear or illegible handwriting can endanger patients’ lives, leading to medication errors, incorrect dosages, and even death. The Haryana Health Department’s new order is a direct response to this judicial mandate.
This policy change aims to eliminate the ambiguity caused by poor handwriting, which has been a leading cause of preventable harm to patients globally. The directive aligns with a growing push for greater transparency and accuracy in medical documentation and is a crucial step toward modernising healthcare practices in the state.
To ensure compliance, the Health Department has instructed pharmacies to reject prescriptions that do not adhere to the new guidelines. The government also plans to conduct workshops for doctors and pharmacists to standardise prescription practices and is exploring the adoption of e-prescriptions with a pilot project already underway in select districts. This initiative, while simple in its execution, is expected to have a far-reaching positive impact on the quality of healthcare and patient well-being in Haryana.
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