New Delhi, January 15-The Indian Medical Association has released a strong note of objection and protest against the alleged comment made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bribes being offered to doctors by top pharmaceutical companies.
According to Healthwire sources, The IMA statement has been released after learning that the Prime Minister had reportedly met the senior officers of pharmaceutical companies namely Zydus Cadila, Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Wockhardt, here on January 2, and asked them to strictly adhere to marketing ethics, and not to bribe doctors with women, foreign trips and gadgets.
Read the full text of the statement released by IMA here:
“Reports have appeared in the media regarding the purported statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that top pharmaceutical companies bribed doctors with women. IMA takes strong exception to this statement if it has been really made by the Prime Minister. IMA seeks clarification from the office of the Prime Minister if such a meeting and if so the statement is authentic. IMA has noted that the PMO has not denied.
IMA demands to know if the government had details of the companies involved in supplying women to doctors and why it chose them to invite a meeting in PMO rather than initiate criminal proceedings. Moreover, it is imperative on the PMO now to release the name of doctors convicted or otherwise as well. The State Medical Councils should initiate appropriate action if the doctors have been convicted on moral turpitude.
IMA however is skeptical about the government being able to prove these allegations. If the surmise of the Prime Minister is based on unverified information it is only appropriate that he apologises to the doctors of the country.
The purpose seems to divert the attention from unresolved issues regarding the health of the people and the medical education of the country. Ayushman Bharat, the current flagship of the government is a non starter and operates more in government hospitals where treatment is already free. 15% of the money paid to the hospitals including government hospitals is siphoned off by insurance companies.
The allotment of health by the government has hovered around 1% to 1.3% of the GDP for the past few years. There is no new investment either in infrastructure or in human resources.
Violence on hospitals and doctors have increased. The government is unable to provide security or legistate the promised central law. Even ambulances are not safe. IMA has reasons to believe that such crude tactics is to divert the attention of the people from the real issues in health sector.”
