Doctors lament destroyed reputations, call for unity vs monopolizers, manipulators

This article has gone the rounds of different but prominent chat groups (MD alumni batches in QC, Marikina, Manila, and other areas), after the recent Senate hearing on the Doctors-Pharma collusion issue.  The assessments of this anonymous doctor were widely shared in social media because it is reflective of a now divided medical community.

Call for Unity

Guilty until proven innocent – this seems to be the system now that even in the opening statement at the senate hearing – there is apparent implication of outright wrong doings rather than setting a tone of clarificatory hearing / inquiry.

It is so disheartening to listen to social media nowadays, revealing how even Doctors, who have such high level of education and status, would ride on issues, and proclaim to be self-righteous and pass judgement on their colleagues whose names were circulated in social media. Filipino crab mentality at work? Several medical chat groups are engaging in debates against each other on the issue, or maybe this is part of a bigger ploy to create chaos and discord in the medical community, “Divide and Conquer. “The question is who is orchestrating all of these specially the releasing of doctor’s names and their area of practice with no heading at all as to what the list pertains to? What is also concerning is that colleagues are posting, and recirculating said untitled and unverified list to different societies, organizations, and medical chat groups – for what reason?

I am dispirited to hear Doctors use their platforms to destroy colleagues, as there are agencies that can be called upon, if there are irregularities. Mentors and so-called pillars of the past giving their commentaries based on social media data – this is the road we are now heading. So easy to judge and make insinuations, I am not surprised with politicians and journalists joining the bandwagon and creating noise on the apparent scandal as this is opportunity for the former with election coming soon and a news material coming from so called esteemed colleagues in the guise of advocacy and self-righteousness, that is, one pill hard to swallow.

Disheartening is an understatement when one gets to read headlines labelling doctors as mercenaries and criminals (and this is coming from a physician influencer) – such that the Pandemic Heroes of yesterday suddenly metamorphosed overnight by social media into criminals and mercenaries!

I am puzzled as to what the real issue is. The ethical practice and Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) is what is being paraded in media – if this is true, then PMA, PRC and DOH should take action to investigate the said pharma company. But what has the issue got to do with the releasing the name of Doctors from different parts of the archipelago? Public shaming? Again, labelled as guilty until proven otherwise?

The buzz in the medical community is that this ethical issue frenzy is but a camouflage of a Pharma war and the doctors being used as Pawns. This just shows Pharma companies look at MDs as merely commodities to advance their business interests. They look at doctors as their employees that they can dispense anytime they are not beneficial to them, regardless of the number of years of support given. Gone are the days of genuine friendship and relationship. Even medical representatives of pharma companies have become messengers of disinformation, and some have low regards to doctors as can be seen in their med-rep chat groups, and how they ridicule and malign doctors while hiding their identities in codes. This is the reality of how we are being treated behind our backs.

What about different societies and organizations – what is their stand? Do they agree with the verdict of guilty by hearsay, and did not even bother to speak up or do action to know the truth? Some have already issued statements of warning or condemnation to doctors whose name are circulating for apparently receiving incentives (lavish or otherwise). “

“Mirror, Mirror on the wall!”

It is as if different societies and organizations have not been dependent on pharmaceutical companies for their conventions, team building and occasionally “lavish” dine outs as well as grand fellowship nights through the years or decades? Let us all be true to ourselves and admit that at some point in time most, if not all,

have accepted perks and incentives that maybe lavish in the eyes of some but for others viewed as a norm, being a common practice, as there has been no real clear standards or guidelines. Or if there was any, it has never been emphasized during major conventions, maybe because even societies themselves have unintentionally overlooked them. How many physicians joined “junket trips” or accepted gifts such as phones, gadgets, concert tickets and the like and somehow are influenced to favor

the brand of their sponsors? Others attend local and international medical conventions but oftentimes there are on the side perks that come with it. How many colleagues have investments or own hospitals, diagnostic centers, eye centers, dialysis, stone treatment, rehabilitation facilities, pharmaceutical companies, drug stores and so on?

Magpakatotoo po tayo! Let us call a spade a spade. “He who has not sinned cast the first stone. ” Personally, I am saddened by the lack of support for the doctors who appeared on the senate from the medical societies – not to take side or defend but to at least call out the disrespect to colleagues by the “Honorable Senators”. The Bell Kenz Officers accorded the Senate due respect by submitting to their summons with their appearance – but we all know how they were bullied and reprimanded, and several names of colleagues posted in national television as if these doctors created a national crisis worthy of a senate investigation. In this regard, how did PCP, PHA and PMA and other societies react – Deafening Silence!

Much as I agree that the Medical Societies should not take sides as what is needed is further investigation to unveil the truth, but to keep quiet and watch your members be treated shabbily, is for me a disappointment. If any member is lost and indeed has misgivings – shouldn’t the society be proactive instead to call the attention of those concerned to remind and correct, then sanction them based on existing guidelines and bylaws?  Remaining silent and circulating memos is not the solution in my opinion. I hope moving forward that the concerned agencies and societies would act soonest to investigate the allegations and spare the whole medical community of further social media “marites” or another Senate hearing that seems to be more in aid of election campaign than unveiling the truth. Time for the Medical Societies to make a stand and governing bodies to do its job and not wait for the Senate to use this issue again for any political agenda turning the medical community into a circus.

The way things are unfolding, this so-called Bell Kenz scandal seems to be but a tip of the iceberg. On the surface is the alleged ethical misconduct of the company but underneath is a David vs Goliath pharma drug war for market dominance. With the sprouting of local companies owned by doctors cum businessmen, some big companies are probably feeling the heat. As the media campaign against Bell Kenz continues, there are reports of several Hospitals owned by a Local Drug Company withdrawing al the products of Bellkenz in their pharmacies and cancelling al purchase orders – despite no official findings yet as the governing bodies are still to conduct their investigation and the first senate hearing failing to prove actual misdoings. I wonder what is next – maybe the doctors allegedly supportive of the competing company will be booted out so that only the said local drug company’s products will be dispensed in their hospitals – smells like conflict of interest and corporate greed.

Today the target is to bring down Bell Kenz, tomorrow it can be another local drug company once they are viewed as threat in the market of other doctor-owned businesses that may adversely affect the big companies’ standing. (Watch out also other local pharma industry – there is more to this than meets the eye.)

Should we doctors just allow this to happen? Should we allow ourselves to become slaves and pawns of pharma companies who treat us like royalties at the peak of our career to help push their products then junk us at will once perceived as a threat, and then destroy one’s practice and reputation?  Should we be fighting and finger pointing to each other? Or should we TAKE A STAND AS A COLLEGIAL BODY to defend our profession against monopolizers and manipulators but at the same time POLICE OUR RANKS to prevent abuse and greed that can tarnish our reputation as Physicians?

This is a plea and a Call to all Medical Professionals for UNITY and Empowerment.