DGHS Policy: In a letter to all physicians practicing in medical schools throughout the nation, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) urged them to “mandatorily” express the indication—a rationale or justification—while prescribing antimicrobials to patients. The DGHS mentioned the growing concern of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) while releasing the appeal. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become resistant to antimicrobial drugs.
Antimicrobials are a family of pharmaceuticals used to treat and prevent infectious illnesses in people, animals, and plants. They include antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics. One of the biggest risks to the world’s public health that mankind faces is antibiotic resistance (AMR). In an open letter released on Thursday, the DGHS said that 4.95 million fatalities were linked to drug-resistant illnesses in 2019 and that 1.27 million deaths worldwide were directly caused by bacterial AMR.
It went on, “One of the primary causes of the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria is the misuse and abuse of antimicrobials. There aren’t many novel antibiotics being developed right now. Delaying the emergence of resistance requires the cautious use of antibiotics. The letter continues by stating, “It is an urgent appeal to all doctors in medical colleges to mandatorily mention exact indication/reason/justification while prescribing antimicrobials.”
AMR, according to the DGHS, poses a danger to the advancements made in the field of contemporary medicine. “Many of the advancements in contemporary medicine are jeopardized by AMR. In its letter, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare department claimed that “it threatens the effective prevention and treatment of infections caused by resistant microbes, resulting in prolonged illness and greater risk of death.”