Mangaluru: Well known Dentist Dr Muralee Mohana Choontharu's prescription in Kannada language to a seven year-old patient has become an overnight sensation reaching over a lakh netizens and motivating many more doctors to write their prescriptions in Kannada language.
Kannada Development Authority (KDA) Chairman Prof Purushottama Bilimale, who had appealed to doctors to write their prescriptions in Kannada language, had posted Dr Choontharu's prescription on X with a short text; "Dr Murali Mohan has written the prescription beautifully in Kannada. Let's congratulate him.”
Dr Choontharu, decided to try his hand at writing prescriptions in Kannada language at his Suraksha Dental clinic in Hosangadi in neighbouring Kerala state. Besides being inspired by Prof Bilimale's appeal, Dr Choontharu as Secretary of Mangaluru Taluk sahitya parishat and member of Karnataka Sahitya Parishat's advisory board, decided to set an example.
One such prescription in Kannada language was shared with his friend Subramanya residing in Bengaluru who had shared it with Prof Bilimale, Dr Choontharu suspects. Within hours of posting the prescription, Dr Choontharu was flooded with accolades even from foreign countries like Dubai and Singapore.
"My brother Nakesha Choontharu, a software engineering residing near California in USA, sent a picture of USA Kannada sangha sharing pictures of my Kannada prescription. Doctors appreciated me for writing the date and even signing in Kannada language. Two doctors in Belagavi have vowed to write prescriptions in Kannada," he gushed.
Dr Choontharu admits that he did not expect his prescription to make a huge impact. "My customers, residing in Kerala state are still emotionally attached to Karnataka. Thus many of them welcomed my prescriptions in Kannada," he said. Writing prescriptions in Kannada has not been easy for Dr Choontharu who had studied in kannada medium school.
"After 28 years of writing prescriptions in English language in a handwriting understood only by my wife Dr Rajashree Mohan and pharmacist, it has been an unlearning experience so far. The prescriptions in Kannada are neat and legible as I am highly conscious. It might be impractical to write prescription in Kannada for hundreds of patients initially. But over a period of time, it will not seem difficult. There might be some words in English. But every one of us should appreciate the change which has a positive ring to it," stressed Dr Choontharu who is serving as DK district Home Guards Commandant.