Faridkot, October 22
Blaming the “misuse and overuse” of antimicrobials and antibiotics for development of drug-resistant pathogens, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has written to all medical colleges and attached hospitals to replace the syndromic management of infectious disease with laboratory evidence-based treatment to prevent overuse or misuse of antimicrobials.
Forwarding a letter from the Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the NMC asked all medical colleges to have Hospital Infection Control Committees (HICC) and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) committees.
The letter said during the pandemic, many healthcare workers got infected with Covid-19 due to inadequate infection prevention practices and many hospitalised patients succumbed to healthcare-associated infections caused by antimicrobials resistance (AMR) pathogens. “All hospitals and medical colleges should increase the activity of both these committees and prepare guidelines of antibiotics use in their hospitals depending on prevalent organism and antimicrobials sensitivity,” the letter said. The hospitals and colleges have been told to ensure that AMS committees meet regularly. — TNS
Check misuse of antibiotics: NMC
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