Medical reps in Sri Lanka-Letter to the Editor
Posted on March 6th, 2011
By Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai, Dehiwala
Often the young Medical reps come in to meet us doctors and I sincerely wish they are trained better. Many of them bend down almost double trying to be very submissive which can be pretty embarrassing for the doctors. It maybe because some doctors may be treating like lesser mortals but these are upcoming youngsters. They must be taught that their job is as good as doctorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s and they must do it with dignity. They must be taught they need not be subservient to the doctors rather just tell the doctors about the medicine they are promoting and ask them to try it out.
On the other hand they also must know not to try to teach the doctors A, B, C of medicine. They must assess the doctorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s willingness to listen and restrict the talk according to it.
It is a very bad habit to catch the doctors in the car park or just when they are getting into the hospital for then the doctors are forced to listen ot them rather reluctantly. This is not going to bring much of results.
These youngsters are going to be tomorrowƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s leaders hopefully. So it is imperative the companies give them proper training
March 6th, 2011 at 11:42 pm
Dear Dr. Mrs. Mareena,
Very good suggestion. These young sales reps very often have a sales target assigned by their companies. They always try their best to achieve that target otherwise they can’t earn their incentives. You also say, “It maybe because some doctors may be treating like lesser mortals” In that case those doctors should be given a proper training as to how to treat these youngsters with due respect.
March 7th, 2011 at 7:24 am
Our thanks to Dr Mareena Reffai for this note.
On the whole, Lankans should learn modern day etiquette, not only in the field of Doctors/ Med.Reps., but also in queue forming for bus tickets, or elsewhere; how to behave in public places, common every day politeness. We suppose that the Tourist trade teaches some of it, but proper manners and respect for others should also be taught in every govt. school and also in the homes of children.
I recall that some workers at the place I worked in the early 1980s used to giggle whenever I said ‘thank you’ (in English) to one of them ! I used to dismiss it as an ‘anti-Kaduwa’ thing, and carry on with the ‘thank you’ habit of mine. I used to say
‘thank you’ in English because no one in the work place ever said ‘Sthuthi’ in Sinhala.
A booklet should be written on Etiquette & Manners in Sri Lanka by a knowledgeable person who could bring the old ways & hte new ways together in graceful harmony, and it should be available in Sinhala, Tamil & English.
Good manners maketh the man (or woman !).