Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Jul 31: Ban on entry of medical representatives (MR) to SKIMS has revived the debate about their ban to other hospitals.
Many patients and attendants said that presence of MRs in hospitals is causing inconvenience to them.
On a visit to several hospitals, this correspondent spotted a large presence of MRs in hospitals and outside the chambers of doctors.
People question when almost 99 percent drugs are available in hospitals at cheaper rates what is the role of MRs.
“They (MRs) must visit doctors at their private clinics only,” they said.
They said that elderly patients are being kept waiting for hours as doctors prefer to discuss their perks and gifts with medical representatives.
An elderly patient from Pulwama said that he had to wait for about three hours at an OPD of a hospital because over a dozen MRs entered the doctors’ cabin.
“It was between 10 am-1 pm without any restrictions when patients from far off places were visiting the OPD for treatment,” he said.
Recently, a circular was issued by SKIMS where authorities directed doctors that all medications prescribed should be generic medicines and not branded medicines.
Several doctors had welcomed this move as they said that this would bring relief to patients especially poor who are not able to buy expensive branded medicines.
They said that there is a perception generated that because generic drugs are cheaper, they will be less effective but that is not true and there is a need to raise awareness among people that would change their perception towards generic drugs.
They also said that other hospitals must issue similar directions to promote generic drugs and to curtail entry of MRs when they are entering hospital for private purposes only.
A doctor who wished not to be named said that MRs must be banned from visiting doctors in government hospitals.
Citing availability of generic medicines at low rates in hospitals, he said that there is no need for MRs to promote dispensing of any other drugs through doctors in government hospitals.
A senior health official said that they will look into the issue and issue necessary directions to concerned authorities so that patients won’t have to suffer.
