It is well known that in India it is common to take antibiotics without medical advice or consultation. This is despite knowing that continuous use of these medicines affects their immunity deeply. There comes a time when these antibiotics stop working on diseases. This concern has been increased by a recent study. The new study has revealed a disturbing truth, which shows that the thinking of the patients is a major factor behind the misuse of antibiotics in India.
Most people believe that by taking these medicines they will get cured automatically. They will not need to go to the doctor. On the other hand, some doctors in the private sector also often do this to retain their patients. In fact, the results of this trend are quite shocking. According to the study, more than half a billion antibiotics are prescribed annually in the private sector alone in India. A large number of these medicines are such that are not actually needed. This misuse is usually the highest in the case of diarrhea in children. However, most cases are the effect of viral. In such a situation, oral rehydration salts and zinc give positive results.
Studies have shown that despite this, 70 percent of cases are still treated with antibiotics. But the reality is that due to unreasonable demand, lack of strict laws and doctors prescribing more medicines than needed, patients’ dependence on antibiotics has increased. Over time, a deadly cycle is created due to the ever-increasing dependence on antibiotics. Which also causes many types of side effects in the patient’s body.
In fact, the bigger crisis is that after a while ; these medicines stop working against the disease. Many types of disease-causing germs develop immunity against them. It is quite possible that during an epidemic, a person’s body may not provide protection despite the use of antibiotics. Certainly, the simplest remedy to avoid this crisis is to minimize its use. Governments should also regulate it through law. We must realize the imminent crisis associated with it. This danger extends far beyond the personal safety of the patient.
A matter of serious concern is that antimicrobial resistance i.e. AMR is emerging as one of the deadliest crises in the world. The frightening figure is that globally, it already causes about 50 lakh deaths every year. In India alone, more than 2.5 lakh deaths in the year 2021 were directly related to AMR and about 10 lakh deaths were related to drug-resistant infections. Of particular concern is the fact that in 2019, only 7.8 per cent of Indians with serious drug-resistant bacterial infections received effective antibiotics, highlighting a major shortcoming of this treatment regimen. Resistant germs spread easily and turn once-curable infections into deadly infections, making surgeries, cancer treatments and routine care far more risky.
Certainly, there is a need for a public awareness campaign in this direction that there is no need to take antibiotics for every minor disease. Through public campaigns, the misconceptions related to antibiotics will need to be removed at the government and social level. To stop their indiscriminate use, regulation by law is necessary. Along with this, affordable diagnostic options will have to be made widely available for rational treatment. Along with this, the government should ensure that those who really need antibiotics can get them easily and on time. Otherwise, this silent epidemic of resistance will take the lives of countless people.
