Superbugs in hospitals: Misuse of antibiotics breeding resistance

INDIA’s hospitals are facing a silent but deadly enemy — superbugs. A new study by the PGIMER, Chandigarh, has found that nearly six out of 10 patients admitted to large hospitals were on antibiotics. Many of these medicines were from the “last-resort” category, meant to be used only when nothing else works. Worse, in many cases, they were prescribed without proper lab tests. This is problematic as overuse and misuse of antibiotics make bacteria stronger and harder to kill. Once they become resistant, common infections turn into life-threatening ones. The PGI study shows that hospitals themselves are becoming breeding grounds for such drug-resistant bacteria.

Scientists have been warning for years that India is becoming a hub of antibiotic resistance. The PGI study only confirms what smaller studies and patient experiences have long shown — that germs in our hospitals are turning harder to treat. Sadly, governments have either failed to act firmly against another big culprit: the vast market of fake and substandard medicines, which are freely available.

Infections caused by certain resistant bacteria are now common in the ICUs of our hospitals. Some show resistance to more than 70 per cent of the strongest antibiotics. When these superbugs strike, patients need longer treatment, costlier drugs and often face higher chances of death. Families are pushed into debt and hospitals are stretched to the limit. The crisis is not confined to wards. Poorly treated waste from drug factories and hospitals adds resistant bacteria to our water and soil. These germs find their way back into our food and environment, creating a vicious cycle. The solutions are weakly enforced. Doctors must avoid unnecessary prescriptions and follow strict antibiotic rules. The National Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance exists, but it needs funds, monitoring and teeth.