Kerala achieves milestone in AMR control efforts

83 hospitals in the State earn the status of antibiotic-smart hospitals and five panchayats becocme antibiotic-literate panchayats

The State has achieved a milestone in its antimicrobial resistance (AMR) control efforts with 83 hospitals in the State earning the status of antibiotic-smart hospitals and five panchayats being declared antibiotic-literate panchayats, having fulfilled all prescribed criteria for the same.

Among the 83 antibiotic-smart hospitals, 73 are primary care-level hospitals, four secondary-level hospitals, and one tertiary-level hospital.

These institutions were declared antibiotic-smart after a rigorous evaluation process conducted at the institutional, block, district, and State levels to verify that the prescribed standards were met.

Under the Kerala Antimicrobial Resistance Strategic Action Plan (KARSAP), the State had conceptualised the ideas of antibiotic smart hospitals and antibiotic-literate local self-government institutions, as part of strengthening antimicrobial resistance control initiatives.

Comprehensive operational guidelines had been issued to implement the programme, based on which the accreditations were awarded.

Antibiotic-smart hospitals are health-care institutions which implement a pragmatic model of antimicrobial and diagnostic stewardship while ensuring compliance with standard infection prevention and control (IPC) practices.