Apollo Hospitals. Common cold, fever, cough and abdominal pain are the most common conditions for which patients turn to antibiotics. "I see many patients with urinary tract infections who are resistant to antibiotics," she added.
With the United Nations forcing countries to put their best foot forward and deal with antimicrobial resistance (AMR), doctors in the city are hopeful that it will force government to frame and implement strict regulations. The number of patients who come to the doctors after popping strong antibiotics is steadily rising as is the tendency among general practitioners to prescribe antibiotics without properly inspecting the patient's illness.
"Patients tell us very proudly that they have self-medicated. They don't just take antibiotics for conditions that don't need them, they take them in wrong doses too," said Dr Vaishali Lokhande, consultant, internal medicine,
Apollo Hospitals. Common cold, fever, cough and abdominal pain are the most common conditions for which patients turn to antibiotics. "I see many patients with urinary tract infections who are resistant to antibiotics," she added.
While the BMC has issued guidelines to the doctors on dealing with AMR, it is not always followed religiously. "Patients are not ready to wait for the results. The doctors too at times give in and prescribe antibiotics," said Dr Avinash Supe dean of KEM and director, medical education and major hospitals. He blames the patients as well as doctors for the problem. "Many times when patients come to us they have already taken the strongest available antibiotic," he explained.
At the Sewri TB hospital the number of patients with resistance to first line of drugs has been rising over the years. "The primary reason is that most patients don't complete their treatment and are defaulters," said Dr Jagdish Keni, medical superintendent of the hospital. When patients stop treatment midway it allows the microbes to grow stronger and become resistant to the treatment being prescribed.
Dr Supe believes the solution lies in implementing regulations stringently. "There needs to be guidelines in place at both the national and the local level which require to be revised on a regular basis by a committee," he said.
This would mean that government will have to take an active role in not just watching over the public healthcare system but also the private players. "Ideally both the state government and the FDA together need to get this job done," Dr Supe added.
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