JPMC management unable to control medical reps 

KARACHI: The incumbent administration of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) has miserably failed to break the nexus between doctors and influential representatives of pharmaceutical companies during OPD rush hours as the influence of medical reps continues to affect patient care.

Medical sales representatives and medical practitioners were not following the directives issued by the Sindh Health Department as well as the hospital’s management. Due to the poor check and balance system, the nexus between doctors and medical reps have severely affected patient care during rush hours.

The unchecked practice of representatives meeting with doctors during OPD hours makes the patients suffer a lot in health facilities as some doctors are prescribing costly medicines with the directions to purchase them from targeted medical stores so as to increase the sales of their favourite pharmaceutical companies.

The hospital’s administration has failed to break the nexus between doctors and medical reps as both are openly violating medical ethics and values.

It has become the norm that representatives of various pharmaceutical companies reach JPMC every day from 09:00 am till 02:00 pm without any hindrance. The medical reps visit different wards and OPDs to get doctors attention by violating the ban imposed by JPMC administration on them due to inadequate monitoring and vigilance system.

The influence of medical reps has severely affected patient care in the hospital during rush hours as some doctors spend most of their time with them instead of providing consultation to patients who come from far-flung areas of the Sindh province of treatment.

Executive Director, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Dr Seemin Jamali, was not available to make any comments.