OGH Must Treat Antimicrobial Resistance As Priority: Superintendent

Hyderabad: Osmania General Hospital superintendent Dr Rakesh Sahay said the hospital must treat antimicrobial resistance as a continuous institutional priority. “We want every staff member and student to understand that antibiotic misuse creates long-term clinical challenges. Safe practices at the ward level are essential,” he told participants at an event to mark World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW).

Osmania Hospital observed the week from November 18, with a series of programmes centred on preventing hospital-acquired infections and improving hygiene practices among staff and students. The initiative aimed to reinforce careful antibiotic use at a time when drug-resistant infections continue to rise in clinical settings.

The week-long activities were led by Dr Sahay, RMO-1 Dr Jaya Krishna, chief nursing officer Mangamma, and infection-control officer Dr Siddiqui, with coordination by the department of microbiology. The infection control team, headed by Prof. G.V. Padmaja, oversaw demonstrations and awareness sessions supported by assistant professors Dr Syeda Nazia Fatima, Dr Preethi G., Dr Radhika A.K., and Dr Srinivas from clinical pharmacology, along with the quality team and infection-control nurses.

Students from postgraduate and nursing streams participated in skits, quizzes, interactive games and other activities designed to underline the risks tied to indiscriminate antibiotic use. Hospital officials said these exercises were intended to remind trainees that poor hygiene and unnecessary prescriptions accelerate antimicrobial resistance, complicating treatment in wards and intensive-care units.