In J&K, particularly in the far flung areas of Kashmir, some doctors have made it a routine business to prescribe expensive drugs

Pahalgam August 30,2017: In J&K, particularly in the far flung areas of Kashmir, some doctors have made it a routine business to prescribe expensive drugs by unreliable companies even if suitable cheaper generic drugs are available. Shamefully enough, they also ask patients to show them wrappers of medicines bought, so they could be sure medicines of the same company have been purchased. Such fraudulent and selfish greedy practices need to be exposed and stopped immediately, as some doctors do this for the sake of private commission they receive from MRs of these companies! This is obviously done at the cost of the patient's health and life, and while the doctors make heavy money from this shady unethical dealing, patients don't get better, and the illness gets worse!

This is also a clear and blatant violation of court-orders and Medical council of India's directives, which require doctors to prescribe the salt name and not specific brand name of medicines. The government and state administration should take strict note of this and the whole system of MRs of  companies visiting doctors to push certain brands of medicines should be stopped altogether and with immediate effect.

Mushtaq Pahalgami,
Himalayan Welfare Organization-HWO