Kasturba Hospital takes out cycle rally to mark global antibiotic awareness week

MANIPAL: A cycle rally to observe global antibiotic awareness week and create more awareness on antibiotics and its safe use was organized on Sunday. Dr (Col) M Dayananda (retired), medical superintendent and COO of Kasturba Hospital flagged off the rally at Smt Sharada M Pai OPD of the hospital and the rally followed the route from Manipal to Udupi and back. Enthusiastic participants from Udupi Cycling Club and people from Manipal completed the expedition.
The cycle rally was organised by Kasturba Hospital, Manipal and Dr T M A Pai Endowment chair on Antimicrobial Stewardship, Infection Control Committee, Dr T M A Pai Hospital, Udupi in association with members of Indian Medical Association, Udupi-Karavali and Udupi Cycling Club, Udupi. Around 200 cycling enthusiasts join the cycle rally in this effort to spread awareness about the misuse and ill effects of misuse of antibiotic medications.
The rally aimed to create awareness on misuse of antibiotics by people and create more awareness among medical fraternity about its judicious use. Key message of the day was always take antibiotics as prescribed by the physician. Take antibiotics to treat only bacterial infections and not in viral infections such as cold, cough, flu or diarrhoea. It also sent the message not to stop antibiotic before complete prescribed course of treatment at right time and dose.