Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 7: Raising concern over rampant misuse of antibiotics in Jammu and Kashmir, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today said this is responsible for unprecedented levels of antibiotic resistance which is killing patients.
The DAK president, Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan said that patients are dying from antibiotic-resistant bacteria because of misuse of antibiotics. “More than 70 percent of antibiotics prescribed are either given unnecessarily or used improperly,” he said, adding that antibiotics are prescribed for viral infections against which they have no effect.
“You go to a doctor with cold or flu; you will walk away with a prescription for antibiotics. Every time you have fever, you are given an antibiotic. Every fever is not because of infection and does not require an antibiotic. Antibiotics find their way in prescriptions for viral diarrheas, sore throats, ear and sinus discharges,” Dr Nisar said.
The DAK president said that the misuse has assumed serious proportions due to widespread over the counter sale of antibiotics. “Chemist shops give antibiotics for everything from malaise, fatigue, body aches to headache. Inappropriate use of antibiotics has turned hospitals into breeding grounds for deadly bacteria that are resistant to all antibiotics. More than 80% of the bacteria are resistant even to last resort antibiotics. Patients are dying of simple infections like pneumonia, urinary tract infection and diarrhea – as no antibiotic works.
“We are kind of back to the era of not having antibiotics. With no antibiotics, cancer chemotherapy and simple surgery will become impossible and we are facing a future where cough or cut can kill once again. Not only the improper use has helped the microbes to evolve into resistant bugs, but patients are needlessly put at risk of serious adverse effects of antibiotics,” he said.
Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan said the misuse of antibiotics wipes out body’s good bacteria that may be contributing to the rise in chronic conditions like obesity, asthma and cancer.
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