Balangir: Leader of Opposition and Balangir legislator Narasingha Mishra slammed the state government for banning medical representatives from visiting doctors in hospitals, clinics and other health centres for business purposes.

He was speaking at the district conference of Odisha Sales Representatives Union at the town hall here on Sunday.

Mishra, who was the chief guest of the event said that hospitals, clinic and other health centres are the natural work fields of medical representatives. "Hospitals and clinics are places where medical representatives visit the doctors for their business. Banned them from visiting these places is violation of their constitutional right. The medical representatives have been denied their rights," he said.

Mishra said high court safeguards the rights of medical representatives. "There is a high court order which protect their rights, yet there is no justice for them. No government can prevent the medical representatives from visiting government and public places for their business," he said.

The senior leader emphasised upon lowering of the prices of infant food, life saving drugs and daily medicines. "It is important to exert pressure on the owners of the pharmaceutical companies and the government to lower the prices of life saving drugs and infant food," he said.

State president of the sales representatives union Bijayakrushna Dash came down heavily on the drug policy of the central government. "It is due to the wrong drug policy and government's patronage of companies which has resulted in the high prices of medicines. The poor are bearing the brunt for this," Dash said.