Doctor-Pharma Nexus: GMSH Medical officer repatriated to Haryana

Chandigarh: In response to receiving multiple complaints against a doctor accused of having a nexus with a local pharmaceutical company/ brand, the UT health department on Friday repatriated a medical officer at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16.

The doctor serving in the Department of Orthopaedics was sent back to his home cadre in Haryana after accusations emerged that he had prescribed medicines of a pharmaceutical company/brand to patients at the hospital for commission. 

A private news channel recently uncovered this incident through a sting operation conducted at the hospital, which exposed the nexus between the accused doctor and a medical representative. 

Also read- Doctors Should Write Generic, Non-Proprietary, Pharmacological Names Only: NMC Prescription Guidelines

It was discovered that the accused doctor had allegedly been prescribing locally produced medications in return for a commission. The evidence, captured on camera, included a medical representative's claim that the doctor had received an advance payment of ₹50,000, HT reports.

According to a TOI news report, the UT health department investigated the allegations of the doctor to gather evidence that revealed repeated transactions of money from a person to the wife of the doctor in GMSH-16. However, an official inquiry into the matter remains pending. 

Following this, an official order was released by UT health secretary Ajay Chagti which mentioned: “Dr ***, presently working as medical officer (ortho) in UT health department, on deputation basis from the state of Haryana, is hereby repatriated/relieved to his parent state with immediate effect on administrative grounds.”

“Disciplinary action will be recommended after a detailed inquiry into the matter. I have also requested SP vigilance to probe the case under the Prevention of Corruption Act,” reads the order.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that the Union Government completely curtailed the visits of pharma company Medical Representatives (MRs) to Government Hospital premises. Besides this, the Government strictly stipulated that information about any new launch should be communicated via email.

This action was taken because all doctors across the country were mandated by the erstwhile Medical Council of India (now the National Medical Commission (NMC)) to prescribe generic medicines only. However, the Central Government noted that in various Central Government Hospitals/CGHS Wellness Centers/ Polyclinics there were many doctors (including Residents) who continued to prescribe branded medicines.

The Government has been working on cracking down on the unethical doctor-pharma nexus for long and had earlier suspended two central government health scheme (CGHS) doctors for allegedly prescribing certain medicines in favour of a particular pharmaceutical company.

Speaking to TOI, Chagti further said, “The health department is taking short-term measures at its level. In the medium term, it will contemplate reforms related to transparency."

Also read- Central Govt Full Stop To Doctor-Pharma Nexus- Curtails MR Visits In Govt Hospitals