Bengal govt to fianlise draft of state 'Antibiotic Action Plan' next week

by IANS |

Kolkata, Jan 3 (IANS) The West Bengal Health Department has scheduled a crucial meeting on January 9 to finalise the draft of the State Antibiotic Action Plan, aimed at curbing the rampant use of antibiotics and tackling antimicrobial resistance across the state.

A state secretariat official said on Saturday that representatives from various concerned departments will also be present at the meeting. Besides the health department, officials from the animal husbandry, fisheries, and environment departments will join the discussions to ensure a comprehensive approach. Areas with high mosquito breeding will be identified, and efforts will be made to introduce guppy fish breeding in these areas.

Departments such as Forest and Animal Husbandry may also be involved in implementing specific measures.

Notably, the state has been actively working to control antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance for the past year. Antibiotics whose indiscriminate use is becoming dangerous for humans have been identified. Furthermore, the new policy will include clear guidelines to effectively regulate the use of antibiotics in hospitals and ICU settings.

This move comes after the Central Government’s ban last year on 156 fixed-dose combination (FDC) drugs, commonly known as “cocktail medicines,” for failing quality standards. Generally, a cocktail drug refers to a combination of several drugs in a single medicine.

An expert committee had examined these drugs and found them to be dangerous for patients. After receiving this report, the Centre decided to ban these drugs. It is alleged that many pharmaceutical companies are still manufacturing them without adequate scientific data.

An official said that the meeting, to be held on January 9, is crucial as opinions of various departments in this matter would be sought to identify the kind of antibiotic action plan that should be put in place.

According to a senior government official, the plan would be discussed with concerned departments for better coordination and smooth execution.