"Allowing those with PhD to use 'Dr' title will only encourage the nurses to go for research."
The Rajasthan government's medical and health department has denied permission to three nurses to use 'Dr' title with their names after completing PhD.
The nurses posted in the health department had sent a proposal to it to allow them to use 'Dr' with their names after completing PhD.
Suresh Nawal, director (non-gazetted) medical and health department, issued a letter on February 9 stating that three nurses have sent proposal to the directorate seeking permission to use 'Dr' title ahead of their names but the permission to use the title has not been granted by the administrative department.
Rajasthan Nurses Association state president Narendra Singh Shekhawat said that the order has discouraged nursing staff, who go for research in their field which ultimately benefits the patients.
"The department has denied permission to nurses, who have done PhD, to use 'Dr' title. We will go to higher authorities in the government. Those with PhD want to use the 'Dr' title in their name. For this, changes in documents are required and to follow that procedure, permission of the government is necessary which has been denied," Shekhawat said.
"Allowing those with PhD to use 'Dr' title will only encourage the nurses to go for research and higher studies, which will benefit the patients," he added.
While the reason or ground to not allow the nurses to use the title is not mentioned in the letter, an official of the health department said that granting permission for this will create confusion among the people, who will not be able to differentiate a medical doctor or PhD holder nurse.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)