No short cuts to well-being

Dr Renu Bharadwaj,dean of B J Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital,says,“’Combat Drug Resistance,No Action today and No Cure Tomorrow’ is this year’s theme for World Health Day,and we strongly feel that each hospital should have its own antibiotic policy.”

Antimicrobial resistance – also known as drug resistance – occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria,viruses,fungi and parasites change in ways that render the medications used to cure the infections they cause ineffective. When the microorganisms become resistant to most antimicrobials they are often referred to as “superbugs”. This is a major concern,because a resistant infection may kill,spread to others and impose huge costs to individuals and society.

Dr Neelam Vaid points to the changed lifestyles as being the main reason for the snowballing of this issue. “By the time the young professionals finish their work,it’s 9.30 or 10 in the night,when no doctor is available. What we are dealing with here is a clash of lifestyles,” she says.Pill-popping without proper medical advice has become the norm nowadays. Another serious problem is of self-medication emanating from random reading on the Internet or health magazines. “There is this strong myth that pain means infection and the solution is to pop an antibiotic. The core trouble here is of chemists selling drugs without asking for doctor’s prescriptions,” says Dr Vaid.

The middle-aged and older generations are more careful about their medicine intake. As Dr Vaid observes,they already are on medications for blood pressure and other ailments,so they are naturally conscious about taking any more for fear of any reactions. “I can say that close to 50 per cent of the patients who come to me have already taken antibiotics,some even when they didn’t need them. Worse is when they consume incomplete cycles of these medicines,sometimes of three different types on friend’s suggestions and so on,” says Dr Vaid.

Bharadwaj,along with others,will be participating in a discussion in the city on the topic on April 7.