Overuse of anti-biotics, the ‘next apocalypse’

Speaking at the opening of the Rotary and Rotaract Clubs of St Augustine West Health Fair at the Sforzata Pan Yard yesterday, Deyalsingh said, “the next apocalypse” to hit global health was the over use and misuse of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine.

He said bacteria, viruses and fungi were becoming resistant to antibiotics in many countries around the world, which could “throw us back to the dark ages.” “If we don’t tackle that now by policy intervention, any of you here can die because the antibiotics we currently use would become useless...

(it) has placed the world in a very precipitous position.” Deyalsingh said he convinced Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and the Cabinet to set up an Anti- microbial Resistance Committee, and activities would begin on April 10 with a lecture and consultation at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex.

“We have to get the data which would feed into policy recommendations as to how we intervene now, not 20 years too late, not five years too late, but intervene now to stop the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in human medicine and veterinary medicine.” “What we are trying to do at the Ministry now, is to turn our health care delivery model upside down from one of treatment to one of prevention and to that end I spent the first year in office negotiating the US$51 million loan through the IDB (International Development Bank) to fight NCDs.” Meanwhile, Deyalsingh said the country could be judged internationally by how it tackles HIV/ AIDS, infant and maternal mortality, and NCDs.

He stated that 55.7 percent of the population was overweight or obese; that there were 3,440 beds in the nation’s hospitals to serve a population of 1.3 million; that 370,248 people, many treated for hypertension and diabetes, passed through the Accident and Emergency departments in 2016; and that there were 551, 245 outpatients at clinics, where most NCD patients go to manage their disease.

He said part of the push to control NCDs in Trinidad and Tobago was the banning of the sale of sugary drinks at schools, as well as a reduction of the sugar content in some locally made soft drinks and juices.

Deyalsingh added that it was necessary to get the population to reduce their addiction to smoking.

He found it ridiculous that intelligent, knowledgeable adults chose to smoke and then the State had to provide facilities and treatment for lung cancer. “A lot of this is preventable. The solution is not only to build new hospitals but to decrease demand on our overburdened health system.” In addition, he said for the past 18 months, infant and maternal mortality rates had decreased across the nation. In fact, he said there were no maternal deaths at the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital so far for the year.

Also at the fair opening ceremony were St Augustine MP Prakash Ramadhar, chairman of the Tunapuna/ Piarco Regional Corporation Paul Leacock, and former Health Minister Dr Emmanuel Hosein.