“MAN V/s SUPERBUGS. THIRD WAR IS ALREADY ON”

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a worldwide problem and emerging as one of the greatest threats to
mankind. Bacteria are smarter than most of science and they quickly find novel methods of escaping the
killing effects of antibiotics used to threat infections. They are easily out pacing the discovery of newer
antibiotics and it is like pouring water in a bucket with a hole.

Patients admitted to hospital are exposed to these superbugs and hardly any medicines are available to
combat them; treatments available get more and more expensive and toxic and with uncertain
outcomes.

Reversing this is the need of the hour and can only come from appropriate use of antibiotics and
infection control practices. The ANTIMICROBIAL GUARDIANSHIP workshop organized by BELLE VUE CLINIC is a unique direction towards educating and training doctors and decision makers in formulating policies of antibiotic use and control in their own hospital set up, and train others to do the same. The dissipation of this type of knowledge has been shown to make significant impact.
DR.ANURADHA AGARWAL, Head of Microbiology Hospital Infection Control is passionate about this and has got a team of experts from overseas and INDIA to intensely discuss the issues along with mentoring doctors from Bengal and other states to develop methods and approaches to take the problem head on Starting from a newborn to the elderly and trail, all of us are exposed to antibiotics which are prescribed often indiscriminately including by the chemist or to animals to improved yield. They stop working due to development of resistant and get to the effluent and then to water and food and we already harbor these bugs with us. So when we fall sick of develop low immunity they have the potential to take off and become, unstoppable .Hospital and National antibiotic policies and regulations addressing these issues is urgent and uncompromisable just as we talk of global warming and melting glaciers.

The workshop was conducted under the aegis of ICMR &HISI (WEST BENGAL CHAPTER).Prof. Dilip Mathai highlighted the why, what& how of antimicrobial guardianship in hospitals ,DR.DAVID WAREHAM BUZARD INSTITUTES ,LONDON gave an overview of antimicrobial resistance epidemiology&patterns in the global &Indian control, he also discussed the rapid detection of AMR as a tool for stewardship. DR Benny Cherian from BART’S HEALTH, LONDON talked about measuring antimicrobial consumption &audits. DR ANURADHA AGARWAL, BELLE VUE CLINIC spoke about the general principles &  practice of antibiotic prophylaxis at local & national level. Various other experts also highlighted the AMS issue .The Workshop on the two days was a intense & vibrant sharing & learning experience. The extremely successful workshop came to a close with the distribution of certificate & group photographs.