Policy on use of antibiotics exists only on paper in India: Monica Mahajan

Mahajan is the associate director for internal medicine at Max Super Speciality Hospital

Last week, a woman from Nevada in the United States died of a ‘superbug’ infection that was resistant to all antibiotics. In June last year, the patient had travelled to India for treatment, which is where she is believed to have contracted the infection. This is particularly alarming as such infections could be disastrous for health care parameters in the country. MONICA MAHAJAN, associate director for internal medicine at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, tells Manavi Kapur about the dangers over-prescription and wrong usage of antibiotics pose to such infections. Edited excerpts:

How serious is the superbug issue? Was the