The Doctors Post

Author: teamdoctorspost

  • Pharma association gives clean chit to Dolo-maker

    The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), the lobby group which represents large domestic pharmaceutical companies in the country, has given a clean chit to Micro Labs, the makers of Dolo 650 mg which landed in controversy over alleged distribution of freebies to doctors.

    The IPA has submitted a report to the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) and National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) stating that the company was “following the processes as per the Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) guidelines” and they did not find any wrong doing. Last month, the NPPA had approached IPA regarding the alleged marketing practices by Micro Labs seeking an investigation.

    The IPA’s ethics committee deliberated the matter and came to the conclusion based on the discussion with Micro Labs management and the reply with supporting documents sent by the CMD of Micro Labs. “The alleged complaint is related to marketing expenses and related tax deductions. The IPA Committee thoroughly investigated the marketing practices adopted by the company and whether they are aligned with the UCPMP Code.”

  • Doctors bat for health clearance before gyming in Bengaluru

    Bengaluru : City doctors want gyms to conduct clinical assessments of their potential clients and solicit of heart fitness before enrollment.  The issue has propped up by the sudden demise of some film personalities who were considered physically fit and were gym regulars. However, several gym owners were not inclined with this idea and said that they were not seeking medical certificates from candidates enrolling in the gym but their in-house trainers assess the candidates after few days of gym.

  • UPSDRC : Directs SGPI to pay 39 Lakhs as compensation

    Lucknow : The Uttar Pradesh State Dispute Redressal Commission (UPSDRC) directed Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPI) to pay compensation of Rs.39 Lakhs to the daughter of eminent artist Padma Shri Prof Ranbir Singh Bisht on account of negligence and faulty treatment to Prof. Bisht. Prof. Bisht has been and angina patient since 1986 and was admitted to SGPI for treatment on September 2, 1998 but died on September 25, 1998 during the course of treatment. Pushpita Bisht, daughter had filed complaint at UPSDRC against the doctors of SGPI alleging that they were negligent in treatment which caused the death of her father. She further alleged that the medication and treatment given to her father was not administered properly and the pacemaker was removed without the consent of the family members. Also, the death certificate issued by the SGPI mentioned the wrong age of the patient. Accepting the allegations, UPSDRC held SGPI negligent and ordered Rs.19 Lakhs on account of negligence and Rs.20 Lakhs on account of medical agony faced by the deceased family. Also 10% interest from September 25, 1998 till the date of the payment was awarded to the complainant.

  • Patanjali intervenes to support PIL seeking adoption of Indian Holistic Integrated Medicinal Approach

    New Delhi:Patanjali Research Institute approached the Delhi High Court as an intervener to support for a petition seeking the adoption of an Indian holistic approach in medical education and practice instead of the colonial segregated way of having different streams of allopathy, ayurveda, yoga and homeopathy.Patanjali said it was intervening in support of the prayers made in the main petition filed by advocate and petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The high court was also informed the central government has filed an affidavit in response to the petition.

    A bench of Chief Justice S C Sharma and S Prasad noted the intervention application seeking to be impleaded as a party to the petition. It granted one week’s time to the applicant institute to bring the petition on record.

    The petition has claimed the adoption of a holistic approach in the medical field which would be a combination of modern and traditional medicine at the level of education, training, practice, and policies and regulations, would secure the right to health guaranteed under Articles 21, 39(e), 41, 43, 47, 48(a) and 51A of the Constitution and improve the country’s doctor to population ratio as well as the health care sector.

    The Centre in its affidavit has said the right to practice any profession is a fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution but that right is subject to any law relating to the professional qualifications necessary for practicing any profession.There can be no compromise on professional standards of medical practitioners, the affidavit said.It submitted that NITI Aayog, Health and Family Welfare Division, has constituted a committee on formulation of Integrative Health Policy vide office memorandum of August 13, 2020 to examine and submit its report on several terms of reference.

    The petitioner has said an integrated health system is present in several countries including China, Japan, Korea, and Germany, and claimed that coordination of all medical systems will benefit patients.It stated that modern medicine practitioners have remained confined to their niche which has restricted their practice and cannot benefit the diseased individuals by using other therapeutic regimens.

    The petitioner has emphasised the negative impact of the expanded pharmaceutical industry and said the so-called revolutionary medical innovations have in long-run proven to be dangerous causing severe and long-term side-effects but Centre is not introducing Holistic Integrated Healthcare System.

    An Integrated Health System is the only solution to achieve the sustainable health goal of India. Commonly preferred allopathic medicine is chiefly comprised of approximately 40 per cent plant-derived components (USDA Forest Service 2021).If allopathic medicine is originally made of constituents of AYUSH then why can we not directly accept them as part of our regular medicinal support system, the petition said.

  • Bengaluru doctor runs 3 kms to perform crucial surgery

    Bengaluru : Dr Govind Nandakumar, a gastroenterology surgeon at Manipal Hospitals, was on his way to perform an emergency laparoscopic gallbladder surgery when he got stuck in the infamous traffic jam of Bengaluru on the Sarjapur-Marathalli stretch. Realising that a delay could put the female patient in harm’s way, Dr Nandakumar left his car and ran for three kilometers to perform the crucial surgery successfully. Netizens have appreciated the efforts of the doctor in social media.

  • Doctors treat patients under mobile torch light in UP hospital

    Ballia: After a prolonged power cut in the government hospital in Ballia, doctors were forced to treat patients under mobile torch lights. In a viral video of the incident the doctor is seen examining a woman patient on a stretcher and other people crowding around the doctor. The chief in-charge at the district hospital Dr R.D. Ram said “There was a disturbance for some time as we were getting the batteries for the generator.” He further claimed that the hospital has a generator for backup but that it took time to get the batteries. Asked why the generator was without the battery, he said, “There is always the fear of the batteries getting stolen. Hence they are removed when not in use.”

  • Government forms committee to regulate marketing practices of pharma companies

    New Delhi : The Income Tax Department revelation of the Micro-Lab distributing freebies to doctors upto the tune of Rs.1,000 crores has led the government to form a five-member high-level committee headed by NITI Aayog member (health) V K Paul to study a legal mechanism to regulate the marketing and promotional activities of the pharmaceutical industry in the country. The other committee members include S Aparna, secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Rajesh Bhushan, secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Nitin Gupta, chairman of Central Board of DirectTaxes (CBDT) as members and a joint secretary (policy) from the DoP as its member secretary.
     
    It may be noted that currently the various pharmaceutical associations in the country have adopted the Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP), put forward by the DoP as a code of ethics for the industry since 2015. The UCPMP is not enforceable under any law or statute of the government, said an official memorandum in connection to the setting up of the high-level Committee.
      
    In August, a division bench of Supreme Court has asked the Central Government to file its response on the matter, in a petition filed by the Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives Association of India (FMRAI) seeking establishment of a Statutory Code of ethical marketing for the pharmaceutical industry with provisions for penal actions against violators.
     
    According to news reports, the division bench comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice A S Bopanna took a serious note on the arguments by the petitioners which took up the recent findings of the Income Tax Department regarding alleged distribution of freebies got medical professionals by a company to promote Dolo 650, a combination it allege as an irrational one.

  • Parliamentary panel recommends DoP to be under Mohfw

    The Department-Related Parliamentary Committee for the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recently recommended to the Central government to bring the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) under the Union Ministry of Health for better coordination between the industry and the government. At present, the DoP is a separate department under the Union Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. DoP was created in the year 2008 with the objective to give greater focus and thrust on the development of pharmaceutical sector in the country. The Parliamentary Committee, in its report on ‘Medical Devices: Regulation & Control’ felt that the mandate of the DoP is very much related to the health sector like drugs and medical devices, their production, development, control, promotion, education, and training & research. Hence, the Committee strongly felt that, for better coordination, the DoP should be brought under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare from the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers.

  • Doctor, son beaten for delay in opening clinic door in Maharashtra

    Baramati : In a shocking video that has gone viral, an ayurveda doctor and his son were allegedly beaten up by the relatives of the patient for delay in opening the clinic door in Sangavi, Baramati district in Maharashtra. The entire assault was recorded in the CCTV footage of the clinic. According to Dr.Yuvraj Gaikwad he was having dinner with his family when there was a loud knock at the door. There was a delay in opening the door following which the patients relative broke the glass of the window. The relatives barged into the house of the doctor after it was opened and started beating the doctor. Subsequently they dragged the son of the doctor and started assaulting him.

    Following the incident, Dr. Gaikwad filed a complaint with the police against the group of men. Based on Dr. Gaikwad’s complaint, the Malegaon Police has registered a case of assault against Anil Jagtap, Vishwajeet Jagtap, Ashok Jagtap, and Bhushan Jagtap.

  • Micro-Lab rejects allegation of 1,000 crores freebies to doctors

    New Delhi : Micro Labs has termed the allegations that it offered freebies worth ₹ 1,000 crore to doctors to promote its anti-inflammatory drug Dolo 650 as baseless. In a statement, a Micro Labs spokesperson said that in some of the recent media reports it has been falsely and maliciously alleged that the company has been distributing freebies worth ₹ 1,000 crore to promote Dolo 650 in one year. “This is highly misleading and is affecting the reputation of Micro Labs, pharmaceutical industry and doctors. The medication has been prescribed by doctors due to its quality, effective and speedy relief from fever and on the trust built over three decades ” the spokesperson said.

    “To think of distribution of freebies worth thousands of crores is thus highly preposterous. The company would like to clarify that the amount referred to pertains to the total sales and marketing expenses incurred by the company for its total India business in the last five years’ period and spent across its whole portfolio,” the spokesperson added.