Avinash Azad
JAMMU, Sept 17: Amid hue and cry over the surfacing of spurious drug scam in state, serious allegations have been made by medical experts that some doctors working in various government hospitals are prescribing "substandard" drugs to patients in lieu of commission.
A patient in Chest Disease and TB Hospital Jammu, today informed Early Times that he visited the hospital following a cough problem and after diagnosing, the doctor prescribed him cough syrup, tablets and capsules of a Gujarat-based company.
"When I went to market to buy the medicine, I came to know that the doctor had prescribed medicines of the same company, which are available at some selected drug stores", he alleged, adding that the doctor was prescribing medicines of same company to every patient visiting him.
"There are various hospitals in Jammu, where patients get the prescription of drugs of the same company and not of reputed companies like Ranbaxy, Cipla, Aristo, FDC, Mankind, Cadila and Wockhardt", said a senior doctor.
He alleged that the chemist shops, which were in the vicinity of hospitals, had been selling drugs of sub-standard companies to make huge profits. Most of the patients visiting them were from the hospitals, he alleged.
"It was learnt that medical department has been receiving complaints, that doctors in various hospitals of Jammu division were indulging in malpractices and prescribing the sub-standard medicines to the patients for monitory gains", sources at Jammu medical college said.
A number of prescription slips, mostly of CD&TB hospital, were with Early Times. When shown to them, medical experts alleged that the drugs prescribed were of spurious nature.
When contacted, Medical Superintendent, CD and TB Hospital, Dr Manooj Chalotra said, "It is not mandatory for doctors to prescribe medicines of the same company as big pharma houses are making each and every medicine which is available on nominal rates at all drug stores", he said, adding that it was also unfortunate that the prescribed medicines were available at a few drug stores only. |
