Meet Kerala doctor whose handwriting is going viral

The handwriting of doctors is generally believed to be poor. South First speaks to Dr Nithin Narayanan from Kerala, who is doing his bit to change that perception.

BySumit Jha

Published Sep 24, 2022 | 10:58 AMUpdatedSep 24, 2022 | 10:58 AM

Kerala doctor and his good handwriting

It’s a common perception that when a doctor writes a prescription, only a pharmacist will be able to read it, not the patient or any other person. This is because the handwriting of doctors is believed to be poor, and not without reason.

This is why a prescription written by Dr Nithin Narayanan is going viral. The handwriting of the pediatrician at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Nemmara in Kerala’s Palakkad district was good and everyone could read it.

Dr Nithin told South First that a lot of people have now been calling him to appreciate his handwriting

“I came to know about my handwriting being spoken about only after it [photo of the prescription] went viral. It was unexpected but this is a good feeling,” the doctor, who hails from Thrissur district in Kerala, said.

“I just want to say this is how I have been writing since my childhood. I don’t want to give importance to it but rather focus on what I am doing, and I want to continue doing it,” he added.

‘Generational shift’

“When there is a big queue of patients, sometimes many doctors try to write the prescription fast. I continue to write the same way, though the quality may sometimes differ,” said Dr Nithin.

Recently, making fun of the handwriting of doctors, industrialist Anand Mahindra put out a tweet.

Dr Nithin said that during their medical college days, many write fast during lectures and that continues during their practice.

“People should not generalise. We have come a long way and a generational shift has happened,” the doctor said and added that many doctors these days write the prescription such that they could be read by everyone.

‘This place has become home’

Dr Nithin completed his MBBS from Thrissur Medical College and did his MD in paediatrics from the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry.

“After finishing my MD, I joined here [Nemmara] as the government doctor in the CHC. It has been three years and I quite enjoy working here as the people are nice. This place has become home for me,” added Dr Nithin.