HYDERABAD, Sept 30: Six paramedics and five representatives of pharmaceutical companies were injured on Friday when clashes broke out between the two groups over a ban on medical representatives’ visit to the civil hospital.

The agitating medical representatives ransacked furniture and smashed windowpanes of the OPD.

No FIR was lodged in this connection till Saturday though the civil hospital administration had reported the matter to police.

A notification banning medical representatives’ visit to the hospital had been issued by the health department under directives of former Sindh Health Minister Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani.

It was directed to the hospital not to allow visits of representatives of pharmaceutical companies before 12:00pm twice a week.

The notification was pasted on the OPD of the hospital intimating representatives to schedule their visits accordingly.

When they tried to defy the ban and insisted to visit to the surgical ward of the hospital guard Iqbal Memon prevented them.

Instead of taking up the matter to the hospital administration they were involved in scuffle with the guard and beat him up.

They gathered outside the office of medical superintendent and raised slogans against him.

RMO Dr Nasrullah arrived there and held talks with the agitating representatives.

Additional MS Dr Waseem Sheikh also joined talks as the MS had not arrived there by then.

The doctors told them that representatives and doctors were inseparable and they needed to be civilised in their conduct.

After the situation was settled amicably, shortly afterwards another scuffle took place in the OPD where around 100 medical representatives had gathered.

They used harsh language against doctors and hospital administration and vowed to defy the ban come what may.

Through Short Message Service (SMS) they called colleagues visiting other hospitals and it soon turned into a general body like meeting.

The situation became tense when paramedics grappled with the representatives following an exchange of hot words and then it was free for all.

Angry representatives ransacked furniture, smashed windowpanes in the OPD and damaged ceiling fans.

The protesters also damaged counter of polio vaccination and tore off the notification of the health department, restricting their visits timing.

When MS Dr Khalid Qureshi and AMS (stores) Dr Waseem Sheikh intervened in the matter to separate warring groups, they were also hit with belts causing slight injuries to them.

The injured paramedics were identified as Ameer Bux, Akhtar Abbasi, Lakha Dino, Allah Dino, Ghafoor Shoro and Hameed Jatoi.

The representatives of pharmaceutical companies held a demonstration outside the press club in protest against their manhandling by the hospital administration and held a press conference.

Naeem Amjad and Masroor Hassan said that the lower staff and AMS (OPD) Dr Mushtaq Memon demanded medicine samples and money from them during their visits in spite of the fact that no such favour could be given to any one in the light of court’s ruling.

They said that AMS OPD along with paramedics thrashed representatives and locked them in the OPD in presence of hospital MS Dr Khalid Qureshi.

They identified injured representatives as Sharjeel, Kashif, Izhar, Rizwan and Kashif.

They said that their belongings including medical bags, mobile and cash money were also snatched.