Bhubaneswar, Feb. 13: The Hospital Management Society and Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) have decided not to allow medical representatives to visit Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack to meet on-duty doctors. The authorities also instructed doctors to prescribe generic medicines to patients instead of branded ones.

Capital Hospital authorities issued a notice in this regard today and the order would be implemented from tomorrow. Authorities of the SCB Hospital also welcomed the decision to bar medical representatives from the hospitals during work hours.

Rogi Kalyan Samiti is a society that manages affairs of the hospitals. The officials said if medicine companies wanted they could organise special seminars for doctors to inform them about new medicines by taking prior permission from the authorities.

Arabind Padhee, revenue divisional commissioner, central division, and head of RKS at SCB Medical College and Hospital said this decision would help provide better health service without disturbance. “If the medical representatives want to discuss matters with any doctors, they can meet them at their homes or private clinics. According to government rules, medical representatives should not meet government doctors on hospital campuses,” said Padhee.

The medical representative criticised the decision. “We were not hampering the health services while meeting doctors. We meet them when they were free. This decision will affect us,” said Malay Nishith Panda, a medical representative in Cuttack.

The patients and attendants welcomed this decision, saying they would get better health services. “We see these medical representatives surrounding doctors at all times. Now, we hope we will get better services,” said Ratik ant Sahu, a patient in Capital Hospital.