Punjab’s first antibiotics policy on the cards

LAHORE: University of Health Sciences (UHS) has set up a working group of experts to formulate Punjab’s first antibiotics policy which will propose guidelines to tackle the misuse of antibiotics.

The working group will be headed by a private medical and dental college’s Professor of Pathology, Prof Dr Maryam Riaz Tarar, whereas UHS Family Medicine department’s head, Prof Dr Abdul Nasir Shah will be the secretary.

Addressing a consultative meeting of representatives of around 80 affiliated teaching hospitals on Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs), here on Friday, UHS Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Javed Akram said antibiotics were used to fight child mortality, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases, but “if those drugs stop working, those gains are very vulnerable”.

“We have over-used them massively, and the more we use antibiotics, the more quickly they become less effective”. Prof Javed Akram said anti-microbial resistance was a grave threat to human health.

He highlighted the need to have an indigenous system of policies and guidelines to control HAIs and antibiotic overuse within hospitals. Aiming at curtailing injudicious use of antibiotics, the UHS VC hinted at incentivising the development and adoption of effective clinical approaches that could improve patient care and reduce the high burden of HAIs within Punjab as well as nationwide.

Sharing his academic plans, Prof Akram announced degree level courses in health administration and medical journalism besides a conference on the scope of health improvements in relation to antibiotic stewardship initiative. He vowed to undertake nursing curriculum changes based on clinical data about HAIs so that higher quality graduates could deliver better clinical practices.

All participants, including senior medics from medical and dental institutions affiliated with UHS, hospital administrators and staff, and representatives from Punjab Healthcare Commission, agreed on the urgency to have a standardised model of healthcare aimed at reducing high mortality and life-long complications associated with HAIs. There was a consensus on the need to develop evidence-based guidelines and procedures despite numerous constraints in both public and private sector health institutions.

The envisaged antibiotic stewardship initiative also sought to enlist professionals from all health-related disciplines to share experiences and formulate impactful, multidisciplinary practices that could be facilitated by IT infrastructure at UHS.

roject labs: Punjab University (PU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmad on Friday inaugurated project labs at the university’s Institute of Chemistry.

Institute of Chemistry Director Prof Dr Muhammad Makshoof Athar, Principal investigator Dr Zaib-un-Nisa, senior faculty members and others were present on the occasion.

Dr Zaib-un-Nisa briefed the research project, worth Rs71 million, included establishment of industrial research laboratory for conversion of biomass/communal waste to energy. She said the project had produced 3KV electricity and its capacity would be enhanced in future.

Prof Niaz said there was need of such research projects that could contribute in development of country.