"Sir, our hospital has banned medical sales representatives from entering wards and outpatient clinics. It is in the newspaper today" my Assistant Professor told me.
"Why?" I asked.
"It is said the hospital took the decision after a sting operation by Zee Business showed a doctor from the medicine department accepting a gift voucher of Rs5,000, along with a list of medicines from a leading pharmaceutical company’s sales representative."
"Oh, God!" I said. "I had heard about the sting operation. It seems the pharmaceutical's representative did the sting operation to teach his bosses a lesson for giving him a notice for something. Otherwise which company would do it to harm itself? It could not be done by the TV channel, because the doctor would not meet an unknown person and accept a gift."
"True."
"I had stopped the medical representatives from entering our outpatient clinic 2009 for sticking their promotional posters to our walls and furniture. Then one of them wrote a letter to our Director on his stationery as an office bearer of a local political party. He maligned me for that decision, asked who had given me the authority to stop them, said I had started thinking I was God, and asked the Director to allow them to enter the outpatient clinic again. A meeting was held by the Director, attended by a bunch of medical representatives and I. I pointed out that defacing MCGM property was a crime, especially when the building was a heritage building. Entry of sales representatives in area where patients are treated was also a crime. Entry by unauthorized males in an area where women are examined would invite ire of human rights ministry and activists both."
"Then?"
"The Director told them that they came to us asking for something, and they should not take such a high handed approach, and they definitely could not deface our premises. He allowed them to enter our premises after they promised to behave and not stick anything anywhere."
"That was good."
"When the Academic Dean called a meeting of all heads of departments after this sting operation and asked my opinion on the issue, I told I supported the idea of another professor that the medical representatives should be banned from entering our premises. I narrated the story I just told you. I said it would happen if they had the political will to do so. It seems now they have found the will. Now let us see what that smartaxx representative who wrote that maligning letter about me will do. All this would not have happened if they had implemented my idea that time three years ago."
"True!"
"Why?" I asked.
"It is said the hospital took the decision after a sting operation by Zee Business showed a doctor from the medicine department accepting a gift voucher of Rs5,000, along with a list of medicines from a leading pharmaceutical company’s sales representative."
"Oh, God!" I said. "I had heard about the sting operation. It seems the pharmaceutical's representative did the sting operation to teach his bosses a lesson for giving him a notice for something. Otherwise which company would do it to harm itself? It could not be done by the TV channel, because the doctor would not meet an unknown person and accept a gift."
"True."
"I had stopped the medical representatives from entering our outpatient clinic 2009 for sticking their promotional posters to our walls and furniture. Then one of them wrote a letter to our Director on his stationery as an office bearer of a local political party. He maligned me for that decision, asked who had given me the authority to stop them, said I had started thinking I was God, and asked the Director to allow them to enter the outpatient clinic again. A meeting was held by the Director, attended by a bunch of medical representatives and I. I pointed out that defacing MCGM property was a crime, especially when the building was a heritage building. Entry of sales representatives in area where patients are treated was also a crime. Entry by unauthorized males in an area where women are examined would invite ire of human rights ministry and activists both."
"Then?"
"The Director told them that they came to us asking for something, and they should not take such a high handed approach, and they definitely could not deface our premises. He allowed them to enter our premises after they promised to behave and not stick anything anywhere."
"That was good."
"When the Academic Dean called a meeting of all heads of departments after this sting operation and asked my opinion on the issue, I told I supported the idea of another professor that the medical representatives should be banned from entering our premises. I narrated the story I just told you. I said it would happen if they had the political will to do so. It seems now they have found the will. Now let us see what that smartaxx representative who wrote that maligning letter about me will do. All this would not have happened if they had implemented my idea that time three years ago."
"True!"
