What the court decided
The Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that patients have a fundamental right to receive readable medical prescriptions under Article 21 of India’s Constitution. Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri issued the directions while hearing a criminal matter in which a victim’s medico-legal report was unreadable. The order was pronounced on 27 August 2025.
Immediate directives
The court told the National Medical Commission to add handwriting training to medical curricula. Until e-prescriptions are universal, doctors must write notes and prescriptions in block capitals. The Union government was asked to fast-track rules under the Clinical Establishments Act and require electronic patient records.
Hospital compliance timeline
PGIMER Chandigarh, whose report was at issue, informed the court it is rolling out a “Doctor Desk” system to produce typed e-prescriptions via a mobile app. The High Court asked for implementation preferably within two years.
Why it matters
The bench linked unreadable handwriting to patient-safety risks and said ambiguity in medical notes can endanger lives, hindering the benefits of digital health. The decision aligns with prior guidance and pushes states and hospitals toward digitisation and standardisation.
Wider context
Indian media and legal trackers noted similar concerns in other states and highlighted the court’s framing of prescription legibility as a constitutional safeguard for health information.
