The Centre of Medical and Sales Representatives Union (Northeast region) today urged the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital authorities to provide medical representatives with a suitable time to visit doctors and ensure they are not abused or manhandled by any hospital staff.
On the other hand, the union also admitted that certain medical representatives do bribe doctors with expensive gifts and condemned those involved in such activities.
The medical representatives today came forward to clear their stand following an altercation between doctors and medical representatives on October 19 at GMCH over alleged disturbance caused by representatives at a particular outpatient department while doctors were attending to patients. The incident resulted in the doctors boycotting the entry of medical representatives on the hospital premises.
Speaking to reporters today, Pranjit Kar, secretary of the union, said, “We regret the unfortunate incident that took place at GMCH but medical representatives were not at fault. They had gone to visit doctors only after duty hours were over. Besides, the junior doctors present were not attending to any patient at that time. But suddenly a senior professor came and started verbally abusing the medical representatives, wrongly accusing them of disturbing other doctors. The doctor even claimed that a few attendants had complained about the medical representatives, which is completely baseless.”
The medical representatives also claimed the security personnel at GMCH forcibly snatched away their bags and other belongings. Currently, there are about 2,000 medical representatives working in various pharmaceutical companies here.
“The only way we can market new medicines is by approaching doctors and this is the accepted way of promotion of medicines under the existing laws. Therefore, the doctors just cannot boycott us in this manner. The altercation has led to the misunderstanding with the medical fraternity. We had even asked the GMCH superintendent to discuss the matter and fix a particular time for medical representatives to meet doctors, but he did not respond,” said Kar.
GMCH receives about 2,000 patients daily in its various outpatient departments. As such, doctors in certain OPDs have to attend to patients even after their duty hours. In these circumstances, when a medical representative approaches doctors, it might create a problem for them while treating patients.
“We definitely agree that the treatment of a patient should be given priority and medical representatives should meet doctors only when they are free. It is equally true that some pharmaceutical companies force medical representatives to bribe doctors with expensive gifts and other facilities so that doctors prescribe their medicines. We vehemently condemn this and instruct our members to steer clear of such activities,” said Bijen Das, general secretary of the union.
On the other hand, the union also admitted that certain medical representatives do bribe doctors with expensive gifts and condemned those involved in such activities.
The medical representatives today came forward to clear their stand following an altercation between doctors and medical representatives on October 19 at GMCH over alleged disturbance caused by representatives at a particular outpatient department while doctors were attending to patients. The incident resulted in the doctors boycotting the entry of medical representatives on the hospital premises.
Speaking to reporters today, Pranjit Kar, secretary of the union, said, “We regret the unfortunate incident that took place at GMCH but medical representatives were not at fault. They had gone to visit doctors only after duty hours were over. Besides, the junior doctors present were not attending to any patient at that time. But suddenly a senior professor came and started verbally abusing the medical representatives, wrongly accusing them of disturbing other doctors. The doctor even claimed that a few attendants had complained about the medical representatives, which is completely baseless.”
The medical representatives also claimed the security personnel at GMCH forcibly snatched away their bags and other belongings. Currently, there are about 2,000 medical representatives working in various pharmaceutical companies here.
“The only way we can market new medicines is by approaching doctors and this is the accepted way of promotion of medicines under the existing laws. Therefore, the doctors just cannot boycott us in this manner. The altercation has led to the misunderstanding with the medical fraternity. We had even asked the GMCH superintendent to discuss the matter and fix a particular time for medical representatives to meet doctors, but he did not respond,” said Kar.
GMCH receives about 2,000 patients daily in its various outpatient departments. As such, doctors in certain OPDs have to attend to patients even after their duty hours. In these circumstances, when a medical representative approaches doctors, it might create a problem for them while treating patients.
“We definitely agree that the treatment of a patient should be given priority and medical representatives should meet doctors only when they are free. It is equally true that some pharmaceutical companies force medical representatives to bribe doctors with expensive gifts and other facilities so that doctors prescribe their medicines. We vehemently condemn this and instruct our members to steer clear of such activities,” said Bijen Das, general secretary of the union.
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