Doctors should prefer Hindi in prescriptions, communicate with patients in mother tongue: Brajesh Pathak

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Friday appealed to doctors to write the names of medicines and tests prescribed to patients in Hindi or the Devanagari script so that they can clearly understand which medicines are being prescribed to them.

He also urged doctors to communicate with patients in their mother tongue and local dialects to make medical advice and treatment easier to understand.

In his appeal to the medical community, Pathak said he was making the request not only as the Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister but also as a Hindi-loving Indian.

He said that, at a personal level, he would give preference to medicines whose names were written in Hindi.

Pathak said increasing the use of local and folk languages in the medical system would help patients understand doctors' advice and treatment better. He added that this would also strengthen the trust between patients and doctors.

The Deputy Chief Minister said democracy was strengthened by public language and public sentiment, adding that greater use of Hindi and other Indian languages would contribute to national unity.

He urged doctors to communicate with patients in Bhojpuri, Awadhi and other mother tongues wherever possible, saying that patients would be able to understand medical advice more easily and develop greater confidence in the healthcare system.

Pathak also referred to the views of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay in promoting the use of Indian languages. He said occasions such as the birth anniversary of national leaders and thinkers should inspire people to resolve to use Indian languages, particularly Hindi, more extensively.

Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an example, Pathak said the Prime Minister communicates in Hindi and other Indian languages even while travelling abroad. He urged doctors to draw inspiration from the work and thoughts of national leaders and promote the use of indigenous languages in the medical field.

The Deputy Chief Minister said treatment was not limited to medicines alone and that a patient's understanding of and trust in the doctor were also important components of healthcare. "In such a situation, simple and patient-understandable language should be used more in the medical field," he said.

Pathak urged doctors to make Hindi and local languages a regular part of their practice, saying this would help reduce the communication gap between medical services and ordinary patients.

He emphasised that clear communication could help patients better understand their prescriptions, tests and treatment plans, particularly when medical information was conveyed in a language familiar to them.

The appeal comes amid discussions on making healthcare communication more accessible to patients by using Indian languages alongside commonly used medical terminology. Pathak said doctors could play an important role in ensuring that language did not become a barrier between patients and medical professionals.

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