PESHAWAR, Nov 29: Unethical practices by doctors at private clinics are not only adding to the sufferings of poor patients but also bringing a bad name to the profession, according to a recent survey, conducted by Dawn.

With the exception of a few senior doctors, most doctors, in connivance with the people in related fields, including pathological laboratories and X-ray and ultrasound clinics, were found involved in activities, which violate the code of ethics drawn up by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) — the supreme regularity body of medical profession in the country.

Dabgari Garden, once known throughout the province for late-night concerts of female dancers and eunuchs, has been converted into the most prominent place in city for private clinical practices. More than 1,000 doctors are practising at about 10 private hospitals and some 50 pathological laboratories at the garden.

A visit to this busy spot has revealed that most of the doctors give preference to their private clinics instead of their official duties at government-run hospitals of the provincial capital, including Lady Reading  Hospital (LRH), Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) and Hayatabad Medical Complex.

According to interviews with patients, their visitors and the people in the medical profession, most doctors take commissions and consider it a part of business. Similarly, almost all the doctors use touts to flourish their businesses.

It has also been learnt that most of the doctors working in the government hospitals give preference in admitting only those patients, who have already obtained chits from their respective private clinics.  

Some patients at a government hospital told Dawn that they had been admitted to the hospital after they had visited the clinics of the doctors concerned. A patient could expect proper attention by a doctor only after going through that process, they added.

A senior Khyber Teaching Hospital doctor, who wished not to be named, told Dawn that the malpractice of giving and taking commissions was very common in the noble profession of medicine. Majority of the doctors, he said, were using their touts for bringing patients to them.

The said: “Actually, these touts who work as pimps are misguiding the patients and take them to their favourite doctors, laboratories and chemists just for the sake of commission.”

He lamented unnecessary investigations by doctors at private clinics and said all those diagnostic investigations were aimed at taking commissions from the pathological laboratories.

Hardly a few out of about 50 laboratories working at Dabgari Garden would not be involved in the practice of giving commissions to the doctors, he added.

“Many doctors do not receive the prescribed fee as it directly goes into the pockets of their touts, while they receive their commissions from the chemists and laboratories for referring patients to them”, said a technician at a pathological laboratory.

He disclosed that doctors wrote prescription in secret words known only to certain chemists.

While talking to Dawn, a high-ranking official of a major hospital condemned the unethical practices by doctors, saying that “these black sheep have brought a bad name to this respectable profession.”

He demanded of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to take notice of such unethical practices and formulate a system of accountability for private practitioners.

He also demanded that a stern action be taken against those who were found guilty.