The term 'antibiotic misuse' is one we hear often. There are plenty of workshops, seminars, and events dedicated to it, with the Ministry of Health spending vast sums of public money. But here’s the harsh truth: Sri Lanka still lacks a National Drug Policy, let alone a National Antibiotic Policy.

According to Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, President of the Alliance of Medical and Civil Rights Doctors' Trade Unions, holding workshops without these fundamental policies is a "joke" and a waste of money, akin to maintaining a white elephant.

The Global Situation and Sri Lanka's Negligence

Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) highlights that nearly a million people die annually due to antibiotic misuse. They warn that this figure could soar to 10 million per year in the coming decades.

In the face of such a grave threat, the most unfortunate fact is that Sri Lanka has no proper surveys or even statistics on the harm or deaths caused by antibiotic misuse.

In developed countries, there are scientific protocols and policies to be followed when prescribing antibiotics to a patient. However, Sri Lanka has no such legal framework. Instead, what happens is "the very people who misuse antibiotics get together, lecture each other, and spend public funds on various events and conferences," alleges Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa. He states that this is a form of financial corruption and that the current government, like previous ones, continues this same mistake.

The Deadly Mistakes We Make Unknowingly

Antibiotic misuse is a serious harm we inflict upon our own lives, often without realising it.

• Indiscriminate Use: From newborns to the elderly, people ask for antibiotics like Amoxicillin from a pharmacy for even a minor fever or cold, without a doctor's prescription.
  
  

• Doctors' Errors: Some doctors prescribe powerful, broad-spectrum antibiotics for even very minor illnesses.
  
  

• Not Completing the Course: Stopping the medication as soon as symptoms slightly improve, before completing the full course prescribed by the doctor.
  
  

• Unnecessary Use: Taking antibiotics for longer than the prescribed period.

The most dangerous outcome of these mistakes is that the bacteria in our bodies become resistant to these antibiotics.

The Coming Catastrophe

Over the last five decades, hardly any new antibiotics have been developed globally. The disease-causing germs are now showing strong resistance to many of the existing antibiotics. This means that in the near future, a simple wound, a routine surgery, or a common illness like pneumonia could become untreatable and fatal.

What is the Solution?

Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa points out that it is essential to move beyond mere workshops and take legal action.

1. Formulate National Policies: A National Drug Policy and a National Antibiotic Policy must be drafted and legally implemented immediately.
   
   

2. The "Family Doctor" Concept: The concept of a "Family Doctor" (or GP), who knows a patient's history and prescribes medication responsibly, must be legally established.
   
   

3. The Pharmaceutical Mafia: The Ministry of Health must act fearlessly for the public's health, without succumbing to the influence of the "pharmaceutical mafia."

Without taking these steps and continuing to merely waste public money on workshops, it is almost certain that we are unknowingly pushing ourselves towards a major catastrophe.

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