Over 60 schools were invited to attend a community outreach programme on antibiotic stewardship held at Sunward Park Hospital,on Tuesday, March 25.
School headmasters, principals, teachers, physicians, pathologists, mothers and staff members of the medical facility gathered for the meeting held as part of Sunward Park’s hospital and pharmacy drive, which is aimed at increasing awareness on the problems faced regarding appropriate antibiotic use.-
According to the hospital manager James du Plessis, current trends of emerging resistance of microbes to antibiotics throughout the globe have become the focus of much concern of late.-
“We are now facing a threat of returning to the pre-antibiotic era,” says du Plessis.-
Du Plessis says many schools tell parents that they cannot allow their sick children to come back without an antibiotic and they want to change this perception.-
Topics covered during the meeting included the antibiotic crisis, correct treatments for colds and flus, the importance of hand-washing and infection prevention, as well as antibiotic use in children.
The speakers were infection prevention practitioner, Bee Kleyn, clinical pharmacist Delyne Subrayen and specialist paediatrician, Dr Mgcini Thwala.
Organiser of the event Subrayen says the aim of these meetings is to increase public awareness on the dangers of abusing antibiotics.
“We want to educate the public on preserving the antibiotics that we have so that we don’t reach a point where our patients have infections that cannot be treated because of resistance,” she explains.
“We are willing to go into schools and community meetings to spread the word about this crisis, and if anybody would like to arrange such a meeting they can contact me.”
You may contact Subrayen by sending an e-mail to Delyne.Subrayen@netcare.co.za.
