Mizanur Rahman from Banshri area of the capital went to a private hospital in Dhaka a few days ago due to physical illness. After showing a medicine doctor there, as soon as he left the chamber, two or three people from the drug company surrounded him and tried to take pictures of the prescription.
When it was blocked, four or five other people from the pharmaceutical company came and got involved in the argument. With Rahman. In the end Mr. Rahman left without giving them a chance to photograph the prescription.
In hospitals and private clinics all over the country, including the capital Dhaka, there are reports of various unpleasant incidents related to the incident of taking pictures from the patients.
Engineer Anisur Rahman came from Brahmanbaria to see a doctor at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University or BSMMU in the capital last Saturday. There, in front of the medicine department, several drug company sales representatives were pulling prescriptions from patients and trying to take pictures.
When the engineer blocked them, the representatives Mr. Attacked Rahman. He was seriously injured and admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Injured Anisur Rahman told BBC Bangla on Sunday, “After seeing the doctor at the government hospital, many types of tests have to be done. But representatives were coercing prescriptions from every patient in the hospital and taking pictures. They attacked me when I stopped them.
Banning drug company representatives from taking prescriptions from patients and taking pictures of them is not working.
Attack on patient for not taking pictures
Anisur Rahman of Brahmanbaria filed a written complaint to the BSMMU authorities on the same day after being attacked in the outer section 1 of BSMMU.
Where he said, when 10-12 drug company sales representatives attacked him, Ansar members in charge of hospital security were present there. But they did not take any action.
Mr. BBC Bangla. Rahman said, “I fell on the floor after being attacked. As the guards and Ansars did not take any action, I was forced to complain to the police on triple nine (999). Later the police came and rescued me”.
Such incidents are frequently happening in various hospitals and clinics of Bangladesh regarding taking pictures of prescriptions.
Injured Mr. Rahman complains that when a patient goes to the hospital, they are in various kinds of trouble. He protested that patients were further harassed when their time was taken and prescriptions were forced to be photographed.
Proctor of BSMMU Dr. Habibur Rahman Dulal told BBC Bangla, “This kind of incident has never happened before in our hospital. We did not understand that representatives of drug companies would behave so arrogantly”.
He said that the hospital authorities have already started action to take action against those involved in this incident.
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‘Strong Syndicate Formed’
Almost every hospital and clinic in the country, from urban to rural areas, has seen the same picture over the past few years.
A bank official named Abdullah Al Mamun of Mirpur, capital, said, “Whenever I go to the hospital to see a doctor, I see the representatives standing in front of the rooms in front of the doctor’s room. As soon as the patient came out, he took the prescription out of his hand to take a picture”.
He was saying that he did not give that opportunity when he went to take the prescription for taking pictures from him several times.
BSMMU hospital authorities say that when these activities of the representatives came to their notice, they stopped it, but still it is not stopped.
Proctor of BSMMU Dr. Rahman told BBC Bangla, “There is a powerful syndicate involved in taking pictures of prescriptions. We are trying to find out that syndicate. Trying to break the syndicate”.
But some of the doctors also questioned why it is not being stopped despite various criticisms about it.
Dr. Dhaka Medical College Hospital doctor. Khan Abul Kalam Azad told BBC Bangla, “It is a very despicable matter. Now-a-days everything has started to be dishonest spying. Due to this common patients have to be humiliated”.
The organization of representatives in Bangladesh, Pharmaceuticals Representative Association, accepts that it is an objectionable act to take pictures of prescriptions from the hands of patients.
Founder and Chief of Presidium Masudur Rahman told BBC Bangla, “This is our job. To save that job, we have to do this abominable thing by destroying quality and honor”.
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‘The more prescription images, the more profit’
Hundreds of thousands of workers perform the duties of medical representatives in the hospitals of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Pharmaceuticals Representative Association (FARIA) says that there are about 300,000 members of these workers in their organization.
These medical representatives work in doctors’ chambers in hospitals and clinics from morning till night. Sometimes they tell doctors about their company’s new drugs, sometimes they take pictures of patients’ prescriptions given by doctors.
But why did these medical representatives rush to take pictures by force, taking the prescription from the hand?
In response, the Chief of Presidium of the organization Mr. Rahman told BBC Bangla, “We give doctors ideas about different types of drugs. We have to tell the company whether the doctors write them or not, first of all we have to take pictures for that reason”.
These sales representatives said that they are being given a target by their company to photograph at least 40 to 50 prescriptions per day. They have to work to meet that target. While doing this, they often forcefully take pictures.
But in doing so different things are happening with recent patients. Sometimes these representatives are harassed or detained by the law enforcement agencies.
In response, the Association of Medical Representatives says that taking this picture is considered as part of the performance.
BBC Bangla Chief of Presidium Mr. Rahman said that anyone can send pictures of prescriptions. The more bonuses, increments or promotions he gets. That is why there is a kind of photography competition among all in this profession”.
Doctor Professor Azad told BBC Bangla that the unfair competition of drug companies is creating this crisis anew. Patients should unite to stop it.
Why is the ban not being obeyed?
Doctors say that the prescription given by the doctor is a personal matter of a patient. It also includes matters of personal privacy. It should not be disclosed to anyone. So taking this picture is against the law.
Although instructions have been given several times by the Civil Surgeon or the government to stop it, it is not obeyed.
Dr. PG hospital proctor. Habibur Rahman told BBC Bangla, “There is a law in our hospital about not taking pictures of medical records while sitting in the hospital. But the law cannot be implemented”.
Doctors say that the patient’s rights are being violated by taking pictures of prescriptions. Due to the connivance of hospital authorities and drug companies, this picture cannot be stopped.
Professor Azad of Dhaka Medical said to BBC Bangla, “Those who will implement this ban that cannot take pictures of the prescription are often syndicating themselves. So how do you stop doing this”?
This professor of medicine has given a new suggestion in this regard.
He said, “When writing a prescription, it may be possible to stop if doctors write the generic name instead of the drug company name.
This doctor thinks that patients also need cooperation in this regard.
Bangladesh Pharmaceuticals Representatives Association says that they are also facing this crisis due to the profit addiction of the companies. The organization believes that the government should also be strict to implement this ban.