Social Dialogue |
by Nadira GUNATILLEKE |
Facilitating the best health service
Waiting impatiently for their turn. |
First we had ‘peace journalists’. They were created by certain ‘peace
producing’ European forces and employed here in Sri Lanka to promote the
LTTE which has been named by the FBI as the most dangerous terrorist
organisation in the world. They are still active like secret agents.
Then came ‘NGO journalists’ who have been continuously sponsored by
INGOs and NGOs to do the same while weakening democratically appointed
Sri Lankan Governments using ‘human rights’ issues. For example, some of
them work in the fields of environment protection and welfare of
children but only collect the list of Sri Lankan journalists who were
‘killed’ in 2007. Do you know the latest breed of journalists? They are
pharmaceutical journalists.
It is very interesting to see how they were created and what they are
doing. There is no difference whatsoever in them when compared with
‘peace journalists’ and ‘NGO journalists’ but they work in a different
field.
It is pharmaceuticals. We can come to this topic later but we are
going to discuss a very important issue today on the negative propaganda
launched by certain forces against the Government’s decision to
prescribe drugs in their generic names.
When doctors and patients are involved in a conflict whose side can
someone take? If you are a doctor you will take the doctor’s side and if
you are a patient you will take the patient’s side. What if you are a
journalist? (not a pharmaceutical journalist). No matter what we have to
stand by the public and play the role of watchdogs.
It is a very well known fact that Prof.Senaka Bibile who loved the
people and the country and faced all the forces bravely behalf of the
innocent poor Sri Lankan people was murdered by poisoning while taking
part in an international conference abroad.
The same forces are now chasing after present Healthcare and
Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva as stated by him recently.
Not surprising because he has a strong backbone and a heart that feels
the pulse of innocent needy people.
The truth is branded drugs are more expensive not because they are
better in quality but they need to cover the publicity and packaging
cost. Now the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has taken steps to
ensure the best quality in the existing free health service in Sri
Lanka.
The latest step is ordering doctors to prescribe drugs in their
generic names. Earlier they prescribed drugs in their trade names which
led the public to buy very expensive drugs giving away their hard earned
money to multinational drug companies while the same drug available at a
very low price (the difference is sometimes between Rs. 5.00 and Rs.
100.00) in a different brand name.
Earlier when patients went to a pharmacy and asked for a drug
(prescribed in brand name) the pharmacists usually explain that the same
drug is available in a different brand and also assure that the drug is
same.
The other fact is if necessary the doctors can tell the patients a
good brand name after prescribing the drug in its generic name which is
not prohibited at all. But still all concerned parties make a fuss for
it. What are the reasons behind this? We are sure that it is not because
they love innocent poor people.
According to the rules and regulations the doctors are supposed to
take time and explain to the patients about the price difference and let
the patient decide.
If the doctor does not do it, the patients can complain to the
provincial director or the Health Ministry. These are the authorities
who hold responsibility to take care of the matter. A doctor could be
penalised with a fine or imprisonment if he/she does not carry out the
instructions.
Here in Sri Lanka the patients know better than anyone else how some
doctors ‘treat’ patients when they visit seeking kindness. They see
patients like their enemies and do not spend time even to explain what
has happened (the illness) to them.
The main objective of such doctors is to get rid of the innocent
patients as soon as possible and save time for private practice.
During private practice they try their best to get rid of the
patients in order to cover the entire number of patients (most of the
time this number is much higher than the number he/she can examine).
Some ‘superman type doctors’ have the ability to write down the brand
name of the drug as soon as the patient enters the room.
There is no question about providing drugs at affordable prices for
the innocent needy patients who cannot afford expensive drugs.
They should be assisted to clearly identify bogus doctors, black
market drug ‘Mudalalis’ and private hospitals waiting to exploit
patients.
These are the rights of the public and the Healthcare and Nutrition
Ministry has to ensure that the public get the best free health service.
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