As the Convener and Chairman, Dr.J.Shanmugam, Emeritus Professor of Microbiology, took initiatives and organized a National Symposium on “AN UPDATE ON ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND THEIR USES” in joint collaboration with the International Medical Sciences Academy (IMSA), Puducherry Chapter on 15 th June,2016 at MGMCRI. Nine invited Speakers delivered state of art talks on various aspects of Antimicrobial agents and their uses. The names of the invited Speakers were (1) Dr.V.Govindaraj (Director – IGMC & RI), (2) Dr.K.N.Viswanathan (Prof.of Medicine, SSSMC & RI), (3) Dr.J.Shanmugam (Emeritus Professor of Microbiology, MGMCRI), (4) Dr.S.Ramesh (Prof.of Pediatrics, Rajah Muthaiah MC, Annamalai University), (5) Dr.Mohamed Hanifah (Prof.of Medicine, MGMCRI), (6) Dr.R.Senthil Kumar (Sr.Consultant, Critical Care Medicine, Apollo Hospitals – Chennai)., (7) Dr.G.Narendran (Asst.Director, Natl. Inst. for Research on TB (NIRT) – ICMR, Chennai) (8) Dr.Sandhya Bhatt (Assoc.Prof.of Microbiology, PIMS) and (9) Dr.S.Sandhya (Asst.Prof. of Clin.Pharmacology, JIPMER). 150 delegates from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry attended this symposium – 100 from other Institutes and 50 from MGMCRI. The symposium obtained 2 credit hour points from the Tamil Nadu Medical Council .
The symposium was inaugurated by Dr.S.C.Parija, Director of JIPMER, presided over by Dr.K.R.Sethuraman, Vice-Chancellor of SBV. Felicitations were offered by Dr.V.Govindaraj, Director of Indira Gandhi Medical College and RI and by Dr.N.Ananthakrishnan, Dean of Research and Allied Health Sciences, SBV. The welcome speech was given by Dr.J.Shanmugam, Organizing Chairman and vote of thanks by Dr.S.Lokesh,Organizing Secretary.
The invited Speakers of the Symposium highlighted the judicial and misuses (overuse or abuse) of various old and newer antibiotics by practicing Doctors.. They also emphasized the importance of implementing antibiotic policies very strictly in all hoapitals. To prevent the emergence of antimicrobial resistance by pathogenic bacteria and fungi, they advocated the following meausres – pharmacies not to sell antimicrobials without Doctor’s prescription, avoiding self medication, not to stock antibiotics at home, Doctors to avoid use of new and broad spectrum antibiotics as the first line of treatment , avoid antibiotics to treat viral fevers and educate the practising Doctors and the public regarding the rational use of antibiotics.
They also cautioned if preventive measures are not observed, we may have to face post-antibiotic era within few decades. The Speakers also highlighted Judicial uses of antibiotics for pediatric and geriatric patients, treatment for hospital acquired infections and tackling MDR and XDR Tuberculosis which are on the increase in India and causing many thousands of deaths annuallly.
