Karnataka health minister refusing the demand, pointed out to South First that prescriptions should be written in a language that both the doctor and the patient understand.
Published Sep 11, 2024 | 10:19 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 11, 2024 | 10:19 AM
Medical presciption in Kannada. (Supplied)
The Karnataka Language Development Authority (KLDA) has proposed that all government hospital prescriptions be written exclusively in Kannada.
While the idea might appear to promote linguistic pride, it seems far removed from the ground realities of healthcare delivery. Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao and several other doctors have refused to entertain this notion, and rightly so.
In a letter written in Kannada to the health minister, KLDA chairperson Purushotham Bilimale urged that if government doctors in health centres and hospitals across Karnataka began writing prescriptions in Kannada, it would mark a significant move toward safeguarding the state’s linguistic identity. He requested the authorities to consider making Kannada prescriptions mandatory.
He also claimed that an officer recently visited the government hospital in Raichur, which motivated doctors to write the prescription in Kannada, and many doctors agreed. “After reading about it in the media, hundreds of doctors voluntarily have expressed to me that they will start writing prescriptions in Kannada to save the language,” he added.
The proposal also called for recognising doctors who adopt Kannada in their professional practice, suggesting that they be honoured annually on Doctors’ Day
Fellow doctors, including the minister, said that while this statement is wrapped in a sense of linguistic nationalism, it utterly fails to consider the complexity of medical terminology, the precision required in prescriptions, and the multilingual composition of Karnataka’s population.
Doctors opined that medicines, dosages, and medical terms are almost universally written in English or Latin to ensure global standardisation.
If a doctor were forced to write these prescriptions in Kannada, misunderstandings would be inevitable. A mistranslation of dosage or condition could lead to incorrect treatments, delayed care, or even catastrophic consequences for patients. Accurate communication in healthcare is essential, and sometimes, it requires using well-known, standardised terms that are universally understood.
A senior doctor from a BMRCI attached Hospital in Bengaluru said “Prescription isn’t merely a list of medicines; it contains specific instructions, dosages, and even warnings that patients must adhere to.”
“Many healthcare professionals are not native Kannada speakers or may not have the language proficiency to write prescriptions accurately in Kannada. Translation errors could result in wrong medications or incorrect dosages,” he said.
He also said that Karnataka is a melting pot of cultures and languages. Beyond Kannada, a significant portion of the population speaks Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, and English.
Imagine a Tamil or Hindi-speaking patient receiving a prescription in Kannada that neither they nor their pharmacist can fully understand. This could easily become a public health hazard, with patients unable to follow through on their treatment.
Dr Kiran Kumar N, Professor and HOD Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Government Dental College in Bengaluru told South First, “Many patients in Karnataka, including migrants are from other states or regions, may not understand Kannada. If the prescription is solely written in Kannada, they may face difficulties in understanding critical details of their medicine like dosage, frequency, and precautions, which could negatively impact their treatment adherence and health outcomes. Especially when they travel out of state.”
While some doctors took to X and even posted pictures of the prescriptions written in Kannada, there were mixed reactions to this proposal. While few rejected the idea completely and called it “ridiculous” few sought reasons as to why one should not do it in Kannada, while it is being done in Hindi in some Northern states, Tamil in Tamil Nadu and even Telugu in a few Telangana districts?
In Karnataka, Doctors started writing their prescriptions in Kannada. Doctors have responded to the call by people & institutions like @kdabengaluru, to fulfill this basic need to write in people’s language.
Have a look. 👇👇 pic.twitter.com/Q4x8RteIoz
— ಉಮೇಶ್ ಶಿವರಾಜು |Umesh Shivaraju (@umesh_anush) September 9, 2024
Dr Shivam Pandya, a Surgical Oncologist from Gujarat reacted to a post on X where one Umesh Shivaraju shared two prescriptions by different doctors, written in Kannada and said, “If I am a non-Kannada patient and my doctor writes this, I will throw away the prescription and go to a real doctor who can write the medicine names properly,” Dr Pandya replied.
If i am a non kannada patient and my doctor writes this, i’ll throw away the prescription and go to a real doctor who can write the medicine names properly https://t.co/MsWpac3E4F
— Dr Shivam ‘da’ (@angryoldman27) September 10, 2024
Some doctors also opined that one must not forget that Karnataka is home to many patients from neighbouring states and even international tourists.
Prescriptions in Kannada would not only confuse them but also make Karnataka’s healthcare system seem insular and unwelcoming. It’s a move that could alienate those who seek medical help from one of India’s leading healthcare destinations.
Voicing the same renowned cardiologist Dr Deepak Krishnamurthy of Kaveri Hospitals replied to a post on this, “For Kannada patients who can read Kananda and if they are going to a pharmacist who can also read Kannada I can. But then other doctors who come across the prescription say in Bengaluru or other states or countries should also be able to read it. I guess you understand that it is a problem,” he explained in detail.
Few of them did support the move. For instance, Dr Jagadish Patil, a paediatrician who himself is a Kannadiga took to X and said, “This prescription has been written for a patient who understands Kannada! Why the hell would a doctor prescribe in Kannada for a non-kannada patient?
BTW do you guys know MBBS is being taught in Hindi in some parts of UP and MP? Why don’t you have a problem with that? He asked,”
Interaction, demand is between patient and doctor. Why are you getting agitated about it!
Kannadiga patients wants prescription written in Kannada, period. Kannadigas wants every service and administration happen in Kannada. It’s our demand, it’s our right. It shdn’t concern you— ಕ್ರುಶಿಕ ಎವಿ/Krushika AV (@KrishKrushik) September 10, 2024
Interestingly, some of the manufacturers have published names and other details of the medicine in Kannada as well. For instance, Gnyan Kallahalli, a rationalist from Karnataka said,
Kannada on medicine packaging. (Supplied)
“The tablet packaging now has Kannada on it! Whether this is the effect of the ‘Comprehensive Kannada Act’ or if Cyno Pharma themselves printed it in Kannada is unclear. Whatever the case, thanks to Cyno Pharma.”
He explained, “In summary, As much as possible, all products manufactured and sold in Karnataka must have information in Kannada’ as stated under Section 17 of the Kannada Act. Let this be known to you. Complaints have been received on the phone number 7070702464, stating that many products made in Karnataka do not have Kannada on them. These complaints are still being processed, and an official complaint has not been filed yet. I will do so soon. ”
Meanwhile, in another tweet, one Krushika AV took to X and said, “Interaction, demand is between patient and doctor. Why are you getting agitated about it? Kannadiga patients want prescriptions written in Kannada, period. Kannadigas wants every service and administration to happen in Kannada. It’s our demand, it’s our right. It shouldn’t concern you”
— ಕ್ರುಶಿಕ ಎವಿ/Krushika AV (@KrishKrushik) September 10, 2024
The health minister pointed out to South First that prescriptions should be written in a language that both the doctor and the patient understand. While Kannada might be appropriate for some, it isn’t practical to enforce this across the board. Flexibility is essential in a multilingual state.
He said, “Basically, it is not practical. Medications and drugs are all in English. Formulations and molecule names are in English. And many doctors don’t know how to read and write Kannada,”
Meanwhile, Dr Sylvia Karpagam, a Public Health Doctor and researcher working on the right to health and nutrition speaking to South First, argued that people who migrate to states need to learn the local language, “However, these cannot be made mandatory or used to target/abuse/attack people.”
Meanwhile, she also noted, “Hindi imposition is a huge concern especially when imposed on states through essential services such as banking. This obviously makes transactions difficult for ordinary people. The false narrative that Hindi is a national language also definitely needs a pushback.”
Dr Karpagam adds that neither should accessibility to essential services be affected. Many doctors may know Kannda but they may not be adept at writing. If a mistake is made and a patient receives the wrong medicine, will the language authorities take responsibility, she asked, “These demands should be thoughtful and should not affect people in a way that puts their lives at risk.”
Also, Dr Kiran Kumar pointed out that pharmacists are accustomed to reading prescriptions in English, and most medications are labelled with English names. Mandating Kannada prescriptions could require pharmacists to undergo additional training to ensure they can accurately interpret the written text, leading to inconsistencies during this transition period.
He added, “Prescription clarity saves lives–language barriers should not stand in the way of health.”
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)
