Medical shops’s touts freely luring patients/attandents to purchase medicines.

Shyam Sood
Rajouri March 18:–It has been found that the representatives of private medical shops freely & frequently visiting the government hospitals to lure the patients /attendants to purchase medicines from their shops.

It has also been found that at some places doctors posted in the health centres running medical shops outside the centres on the names of their family members/relatives and forcing the patients to purchase recommended medicines from these shops.

Pertinent to mention, that the government of UT of J&K providing free medicines to the patients in the government hospitals.Reportedly in an order issued in the past by the Health Department, the doctor has to recommend medicines available in the hospital store.“But the order is violated with impunity all most in all the government hospitals & doctors recommends medicines available at their preferable medical shops” said a senior health official.

In order to increase their sales, owners of medical shop have adopted such tactics and they are sending their employees to Out Patient Department (OPD), Emergency and other wards to lure the patients /attendants.

These touts misguiding the attendants about the quality of the medicines made available by the government free of cost in the hospitals and forcing them to purchase medicines from their shops. Recently matter has been brought by the patients in the notice of Dr Iqbal Malik, BMO, Kandi Health Block.

BMO in a circular issued today has warned such shop owners for strict action against them.
“It is warned to all private Medical Shops outside CHC ,Kandi (Kotranka , not to send any person inside the hospital premises in future, failing which the same shall be informed to the district administration & the police for appropriate action” the circular reads.