“Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials is one of the main drivers in the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens. With few new antibiotics in the Research & Development pipeline, prudent antibiotic use is the only option to delay the development of resistance,” Commssioner-cum-Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Shalini Pandit, said in a letter to directors of the department, superintendents of government-run and private medical colleges and hospitals and CDM & PHOs.

She further said that doctors at medical colleges and peripheral health institutions can set example of judicious use of antimicrobials for the next generation of medical practitioners, who will face this crisis in a much more severe form. “While pharmacists are being reminded to implement the schedule-II and III of the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules and sell antibiotics only on valid prescriptions, it is important that all doctors mention the exact indication on their prescriptions while prescribing antimicrobials,” the letter added.

This comes six days after the Union Health Ministry urged all doctors in medical colleges and medical associations to make it a mandatory practice to “write indication/reason/justification” while prescribing antibiotics. To address the growing issue of antibiotic resistance, Director General of Health Services also appealed to all pharmacists to stop the over-the-counter sale of antibiotics without a prescription by a qualified doctor.

In a notification on Monday, the Health & Family Welfare Department said, “In preparation for functionalisation of the new medical college, the existing Nehru Shatabdi Hospital of MCL is being taken over by the government.”

After consideration of a proposal, the government has decided to name the hospital as Pabitra Mohan Pradhan Government Hospital, which will function as the future teaching hospital for the proposed medical college.

The notification be published in an extraordinary issue of the Odisha Gazette, the department stated.