The New Nation - Internet Edition

Last week I had to accompany a patient to a hospital in the city. It was deep into the night in a Government hospital. It was an emergency. Fortunately, there was no rush and the attending officials were in a relaxed mood. I should say they were rather kind to the patient in managing the emergency situation.

The Duty Doctor also attended the patient with care. He prescribed medicines (which I had to buy from outside because the hospital had no supply) and advised for some routine tests. The tests could not be done at the hospital then because the concerned sections were closed.

However, the duty officials told they could manage to get those done from the nearby private diagonistic centres if we wish so. But as the tests were not that urgent we should better go in the next day during duty hours, advised one aged hospital staff.

Next day, I went to a NGO-run specialised hospital with the patient for getting those tests done because the hospital enjoy good reputation for its test accuracy.

There we found a patient-friendly arrangement. However, one incident there pained me much. It was the over-presence of the medical representatives and their mad-rush to see whose company's product(s) the doctor has prescribed. As we came out of the doctor's chamber at least half a dozen of the MRs encircled us and took the prescription paper from the hospital attendant who was acting as our guide.

It was really a new (and of course sad) experience for me.

Later in a fact finding drive what I could know is really alarming. These MRs regularly keep liasion with the doctors in an attempt to encourage them to 'write names of their products' (certainly for some consideration of mutual gains). And the situation we faced was, in fact, the MRs desperate drive to know how the doctors oblige them in return. It is just unethical business promotional.

Abu Musa Miah

Lalbagh, Dhaka