| Valley Docs getting freebies worth lacs to prescribe medicines | | Nasty nexus between docs, companies | | ET Report
SRINAGAR, Aug 21: Notwithstanding the ban imposed by the Medical Council of India in 2009 on medical practitioners and their professional associations from taking any gifts, cash or monetary grant from medical and allied health sector industries, the menace continues unabated in the Valley with doctors taking freebies worth lacs of rupees to increase the sales of pharma companies.
A Srinagar based news gathering agency claims possession of private documents of a reputed national pharma company Micro Labs-Bangalore that reveal the nexus between renowned doctors of Valley and the company. The documents reveal that prominent doctors of Valley have been receiving freebies worth lacs of rupees for their personal use in lieu of promoting sales of the company.
Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations have already declared it unlawful for doctors to receive gifts and freebies from drug-marketing companies.
A complaint was registered in Divisional Commissioner's office under file no. DIV/PS/FR/003 of dated 07.05.2013 which was forwarded to IGP Police's office under file no. KZ/PH/CTT-CKR-1/2013/11335 Dated 10.05.13 which was then sent to SP, Hazrat Bal's office under file no. CRB/GC-3A/13/6020 dated 13.05.2013 which was subsequently forwarded to SHO, Shaheed Gunj under file no. SP (H) / 2013 / CLT /RDX/3176-78 dated 14.05.2013 but nothing has been done in this regard.
Documents reveal that renowned Gastroenterologist and a consultant Medicine at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, Dr. Abdul Majid Wani has purchased sanitary items of rupees 40,000 which company has reimbursed for prescribing Clariwin, Pulmoxyl and Moxigram range. Dr. Jawaid A. Zargar, senior ENT specialist and head neck surgeon has purchased 3-Band sofa sets costing nearly 14000 rupees for which he has prescribed wide ranges of Bactoclav, Helirab and Micronac products.
Another senior physician Dr. F.A. Peerzada has purchased inverter for his home and company reimbursed the amount 30,000 as he is prescribing wide range of Pulmocef, Bactoclave, Allercet and Helirab products. Various other doctors have received laptops, furniture and many other house hold equipment's.
According to sources the company is offering major schemes from 20 percent to 100 percent to the anti-depressant medicines in which Anxit and Petril medicines are leading the chart in Valley with black marketing to drug addicts.
While talking to Saba Enterprises, Karan Nagar, who is the local distributor of Micro Labs-Bangalore, said: "These are managers/medical representatives who provide gifts and other freebies to doctors for their individual benefits as we only provide medical books and conference allowance to the doctors."
A pharmaceutical distributor, wishing not to be named, told that these doctors are taking lacs of rupees from the companies to sell their products upon which patients are left with no choice other than to buy it as they don't know which medicine would be effective for them.
He said the Narcotic drugs are being labeled as "white gold" by the company in the Valley as they are the top selling products with the support of local Physiatrists. "Distributors and chemists get 20 percent to 60 percent scheme in these drugs," he added.
The medical experts opine that such malpractices stem from lack of accountability in the medical profession. They say there is a poor deterrence against recalcitrant doctors and pharma companies even after Government of India decided to tax such expenses of pharma companies and also impose taxes on doctors who enjoy freebies.
When contacted Director Health Services, Kashmir, Dr. Saleem Ur Rehman said: "We are going to pursue case against the accused and it will be better to expose them in public through media."
Doctor's Association of Kashmir (DAK) President, Dr. Nisar ul Hassan said whosoever is involved must be punished severely as they have brought disgrace to the "noble" profession.
"These doctors are involved in spurious drug scam and have shattered the sanctity of doctor-patient relationship," Dr. Nisar said, adding that we are vehemently against the spurious drug scam as well as the illegal nexus that is going on between them and companies.
It is pertinent to mention here that according to Medical Council of India (MCI) rules, a medical practitioner shall not accept any travel facility inside the country or outside, including rail, air, ship, cruise tickets, paid vacations etc. from any pharmaceutical or allied healthcare industry or their representatives for self and family members for vacation or for attending conferences, seminars, workshops, CME programme as a delegate.
Doling out freebies to doctors just turned exorbitant for pharma companies as the Government has decided to label such exchange taxable, both for the drug firms and the medicos. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has also clarified that the tax law doesn't not allow pharma firms to show spending incurred on gifts to doctors (already prohibited for doctors to accept under the Medical Council of India regulations) as deductible expense under the Income Tax Act. |
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