Doctors, Pharmaceutical Reps Caught Exploiting Poor Patients At Civil Hospital

KARACHI: Doctors employed in the Trauma and Emergency Department at the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi (CHK) have been caught prescribing costly medicines to patients’ attendants to enhance sales of certain pharmaceutical factions for personal interest.

Reliable sources quote that some doctors working in the Emergency Department of Sindh’s largest teaching hospital had been openly breaching ethical guidelines and getting away with malpractice, thanks to the poor surveillance system.  

The patient’s attendants are suffering a lot due to this dereliction of duty. Doctors prescribe costly medicines needlessly to attendants to increase sales of certain pharmaceutical companies who reward them with a commission and other benefits.

This unethical practice has plagued almost all government-run hospitals in Karachi. Still, in this particular case, the doctors had started an evening private practice at the hospital in tandem with pharmaceutical companies. During the night hours, they prescribed medications that were both not required and expensive. This causes a strain on the patient and their family, who are already coming from a lower socioeconomic background.

Sources said that the hospital administration could not control these illegal activities despite several complaints from their clientele. Medication is readily available for patients rushed into the emergency OPD. Unfortunately, these doctors would force vulnerable patients to buy expensive medicines from specific pharmacies outside the hospital complex rather than procure them from the hospital pharmacy.

The sad fact is that these medicines are available in the hospital pharmacy for free of cost distribution among patients.

On the other hand, a male nurse and a physician in charge during the morning shift were also reportedly involved in medicine theft.  

An official posted at the Accident & Emergency Department said that the doctors involved in the illegal activities had been transferred from their posts. They will continue to monitor the other doctors still employed. He said strict action would be taken against doctors, nurses and other personnel if found guilty of malpractice.     

Dr Noor Soomro, Medical Superintendent, CHK, was not available for comment.