The Day The State Split Asunder - 50

One month ago…

Suresh was getting ready to start his day. He lives along with his four friends in a small penthouse at Ameerpet. His roommate Shankar, who has been suffering from viral fever for a few days, got up from his bed and was walking towards the bathroom. He collapsed all of a sudden. 

Panicked with the sudden deterioration of Shankar's health, Suresh admitted him to a nearby hospital and took him to the general ward. By that time Shankar regained consciousness but was feeling so tired. 

'Hello, I am Dr Ram. What exactly is the problem?' the forty-five-year-old doctor asked, cleaning his spectacles.

'He has been suffering from viral fever for a few days. He collapsed all of a sudden.' 

'I see. You should have brought him early.'

'Actually, he has been using the medicines which have been prescribed in the clinic near to our home. But…' Suresh paused.

'Any problem?'

'I also suffered from viral fever but the doctor did not prescribe me these many medicines for me.' 

'Can you show me the prescription?'

'Actually, I have it in my room. I will ask my roommates to email it.'

The doctor retired back to his cabin. Suresh then called one of his roommates and requested him to email the prescription. He received it in ten minutes and forwarded it to the doctor.

'My suspicion turned out to be true. He became unconscious because of a medicine overdose. For an ordinary viral fever why did the doctor prescribe these many medicines? More than half of the medicines are not required. In addition they will create other side effects and can even damage the body parts.' 

'If more than half of the medicines are not necessary then why did that doctor prescribe these many?'

'Because they can get a good commission.'

'Commission? I don't understand what you are saying?'

'Leave it. That's a very big story and you understand it.'

 Suresh took out his identity card and showed him. 'Sir, I work as a journalist at the HBN-7 channel. Please tell me what exactly is the story.' 

'See Mr.Suresh, as a doctor I feel ashamed of sharing this. Most doctors are honest and work hard to improve their patients' health. However, a few want to illegally increase the size of their bank accounts. Like all industries, the potential for corruption in the healthcare industry is great. Providers have been known to unlawfully pay for and/or receive payment for referrals. Obviously, that practice can lend itself to abuse when referrals are made for services that aren't even needed, such as X-rays, MRIs, prescription drugs, etc. In our country, it has been estimated that 50% of family spending on healthcare is on unnecessary medications. The best example is your friend. Who is suffering from a viral fever but he has been prescribed malaria and other drugs which are not at all required.' 

'But why did the doctor do that?'

'Some pharma industries influence doctor's prescribing habits. Drug manufacturers and distributors may pay unlawful kickbacks to physicians or others in the form of sham "consulting fees," luxury vacations, and expensive meals, in exchange for increased prescriptions of the company's drugs. The more drugs you prescribe for that company the more will be your commission.'   

    'So, it means the doctor who has treated my friend should have done the same?'

    'I can't say. This is just one kind of a scam. A month ago, we had five patients from the mental institute who were suffering from a rare kind of ailment which I had never seen in my life. They were not feeling hungry, unable to urinate and complained of severe body pains. They were mentally unstable so they are unable to say anything.'

    'What must have happened?'

    The doctor leaned forward and in a low whispering tone, he said. 'They have been subjected to clinical trials. This is a very big mafia. Better don't put your head into it.'

    'Who is behind this?'

    'I don't know and I don't want to be involved in this. Because I can't risk my life.'

    'Sir, I really do need your support. Think about the poor people who spend their entire life savings for hospital treatment. They are paying for the ailments that they do not have. Do you know who is the honcho behind this?'

    'A little bird told me that the superintendent of HMSI, Dr. MadhuSudhan is behind this. These pharma companies at times perform clinical trials illegally in some of the hospitals. Forget doctors and hospitals, they even have ties with the pharmacy stores.'

    'What will they get from pharmacy stores?'

    'Let's see you are getting a headache and you have approached the pharmacy store. You ask for 'Paincin' but the store guy says it's not available but gives you some other medicine called 'Rycin' which is equivalent to it. Did you get my point?'

    'Ok! Ok! Now I have to work on bringing that dark business into the spotlight.'

    'Please don't tell my name. My life will be in danger. The reason why I disclosed this is because innocent people are suffering because of them. If this continues then our society will be in danger.'

    'Don't worry. This discussion will remain confidential between you and me,' Suresh said to the doctor. 'I read somewhere that thousands of Indians have died in unethical clinical trials over the past decade.'

    'See, the number of clinical trials in India rose after 2005, when India relaxed its testing laws. Drug companies began to recruit clinical research outsourcing firms to conduct trials in India, where costs are drastically lower. Let me take an example of one of my patients, Nagendra, who drives an auto rickshaw in the city. When his father Srikrishna, a tailor, fell ill with breathlessness and chest pain, he admitted him to a hospital which is run by a trust. In the hospital, Nagendra was given a sheaf of papers to sign. They were in English, which he couldn't read very well, but the doctors told him that his father would be treated, free of charge, with imported drugs, so Nagendra went ahead and signed. Without his consent, Srikrishna was in a clinical trial for nearly two years," Mr Nidhi said. "His health started deteriorating, and he died.'

    'So sad!'

    'There are many such accounts of unethical clinical trials going on in our country.'

    'It's time for me to lift the veil.'

    Suresh then shifted to a flat in Madhapur inorder to carry out his mission in a clandestine manner.