KARACHI: Patients' care has been adversely affected since JPMC's management has been unable to break the link between doctors and powerful pharmaceutical lobbyists during OPD hours.

Nexus between doctors and Medical Reps

There was a lack of adherence to hospital and department of health-issued guidelines by medical sales agents and practitioners in Sindh. 

Doctors and medical representatives' nexus had a negative impact on patient care during rush hours because of a lacklustre check and balance system.

Medical patients suffer as a result of doctors prescribing expensive medications with instructions to acquire them from specific medical stores in order to enhance sales of their favourite pharmaceutical corporations, a practise that goes unregulated and puts patients at risk.

Doctors and medical representatives are openly breaking medical ethics and ideals in a way that the hospital administration has been unable to break their ties.

Pharmaceutical company representatives regularly arrive to JPMC at 9:00 a.m. and remain until 2:00 p.m. without incident. 

Despite a prohibition enforced by JPMC administration due to a lack of monitoring and vigilance, medical representatives continue to visit various wards and OPDs in an attempt to draw doctors' attention.

Some doctors spend much of their time with medical reps rather than consulting with patients from remote districts of Sindh province who come to the hospital for treatment during rush hours.

It was not possible to reach Dr. Shahid Rasool, the executive director of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC).