The indiscriminate use of antibiotics is increasing health hazards. Without knowing, people are taking antibiotics through fish and meat.
Doctors feel that people are becoming resistant to antibiotics as they are not taking the medicine as per the instructions of the doctor.
Antibiotics should only be given in need and not before.
On Wednesday (Apr 24) a writ was been lodged at the High Court asking for restriction on the sale of antibiotics without prescription.
The writ states that in recent times, 400 people died due to excess usage of antibiotics.
Head of microbiology department of National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine, Professor Akram Hossain, says: “Misuse of antibiotics is a concern and, in this harmful practice one can self-prescribe or be given antibiotics by the doctor.”
Antibiotic is used in animal feed and fish, ending up in earth. Even drain water consists powerful antibiotic resisting bacteria.
This is used for fish and in food.
Professor Akram says that the companies try to increase profit by increasing antibiotic sales.
If one takes antibiotics for seven days at a stretch, resistance is not created but if medicine is stopped after two days then resistance forms, he added.
At the government hospitals, antibiotics are given only for three days and after recovering, many patients do not come to get additional medicines.
To prevent resistance to antibiotics, multidimensional efforts are needed; laws must be enacted to stop the inclusion of antibiotics in animal feed.
Directorate General of the Health Department, Professor Dr Abul Kalam Azad, said: “People have become a part of the antibiotic chain; if such medicines are used in domestic animals then, the medicines will enter human body through meat products.”
We need strict monitoring, he asserted.
“Under the One Health programme we have made a laboratory network, a forensic lab will be established in Dhaka and doctors need to be made conscious of the potential dangers of the misuse of antibiotics.”
Dr Azad further said that Flaming Fund, a UK based organization, will help in the implementation of this programme.
Medicine shops should stop selling antibiotics without prescription and the people have to understand that taking antibiotics of their own will may create health hazards, he cautioned.