Daya Sagar
Recently, I went to purchase Roxivista 150mg tablet (Roxithromycin150mg) from ‘the largest’ drug store in Jammu but I was told since it is manufactured by a ‘local company ‘ they do not keep it and I was offered Roxid 150mg tablet (10 tablet in strip) (Roxithromycin150mg) manufactured by Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd with MRP Rs 102 for a strip of 10 tablet strip. Whereas, the actual position is Roxivista 150mg tablet (Roxithromycin150 Mg) is marketed by Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd but is fairly marked with MRP of Rs 18.75 only and doctors in general do not prescribe it. Why even only a very few government doctors may be prescribing Roxivista 150mg costing just Rs.1.87 /tab as against Roxid 150MG costing Rs.10.20 / tab, why did the vendor call even a company like ‘Cadila’ as a local manufacturer are the questions that must agitate the health Minister Bali Bhagat?
Now after the quality and timely delivery of health services even by the government doctors and hospitals has come under question need has emerged for reviewing the service relaxations in the shape of permission for private practice given to government doctors. In spite of being government servants, doctors were given the permission to see the patients during off hours against payment and there was nothing that bad in this. But it was not to increase the income but was simply to make available emergency attention / consultation in the near vicinity at odd hours wherever possible. Doctor could at the maximum put a 10cm x 40cm name plate at his/her house but these days one could easily find large boards like a karyana shop on the house / private clinic of a government doctor.
In spite of doctors being government employees, they are allowed to do private practice during office hours so that the suffering people do get some local care and the serving doctor also gets some compensation for the services rendered. Limiting the private practice to local consultations would not have been objected to by anyone but some of the doctors have taken to nearly a total commercial enterprising. Provision for private practice by government doctors was drafted for the benefit of the common man but now it is being alleged that it has started harming the common cause.
Some government doctors have even invested in installation of equipment / laboratories with fully commercial intentions. Often it is alleged in J&K that private hospitals /homes are running more on the services of the government doctors in the name of private practice. No doubt investigations into the cause / status of an ailment are good for pointed treatment but it has also to be kept in mind that the cost of investigations has to be kept the minimum possible keeping in view the risk involved, the time cost and the economic capacity of the patient. But it is so commonly alleged these days that many patients are referred for tests that may not be that immediate and necessary. Similarly public interest schemes like Jan Aushadi Scheme have been almost a non starter and it has been surely so under the pressures of the practicing doctors, manufacturers and sellers. Some Government Doctors (in J&K also ) have taken to near total commercial enterprising under the cover of permission given by government for private practice ,in relaxation of conduct rules for the public servants, they too have contributed installing the programmes for making the medicines labelled with fair MRP as a success. These days even some common use drugs are sold at exorbitant profit margins because some doctors prescribe by brand, particularly at the instance of the manufacturer or at the instance of a particular retailer.
The innocent customer does not go for the alternative genuinely priced medicines at that may even be available at much lower price if suggested by some other doctor or even the dispenser. The medical profession is considered a very pious profession and elders suggest that a doctor was considered next to God for the humanity. They could do a lot for promoting the Jan Aushadi Store Programme 2008 a success , but it has not been so. The doctors in government service are allowed private practice but so strangely where ever not allowed they are given non practicing allowance.
Most of the doctors are these days doing a full time private enterprise under the garb of permission for private practice that was only for off time consultations.
The interaction between the sellers of medicines & utilities and the practicing doctors have almost shaped into trade relations. The custom of inflated prescription writing have started badly inflicting the family economy of patients. More so the social cause behind allowing government doctors private practice has been totally overshadowed by the commercial enterprising interests of doctors. Private sector has also grown, private practitioners number has also grown, number of retired doctors is also reasonably high now , people do appreciate that services of doctors in institutions like AIIMS and PGI are much more dedicated to medical ethics since there doctors are not allowed private practice. It may be a news for rational thinkers that doctors in Army are also given non practicing allowance, how funny!!!. Not only this a close look will reveal that in Medical College Jammu / Srinagar some doctors are given non practicing allowing who belong to a stream where in general patient would like to go for treatment to them. So, need has emerged for reviewing the service relaxations in the shape of permission for private practice given to government doctors worth withdrawing the same as no such relaxations have been allowed to other professionals in government service like engineers, accountants who too can increase their income by working off time.
(Daya Sagar is a senior Journalist and a social activist can be reached at [email protected])
