In a major stride toward safer healthcare and smarter medicine use, Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) and its Associated Hospitals have rolled out their Antibiotic Policy Manual — a powerful new guide designed to protect patients and preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for generations to come.

The manual, developed by the Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Committee, comes at a crucial time when the world is facing a silent but deadly crisis — the growing menace of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Dr. Sarita Beri, Director of LHMC, said the document represents much more than a set of clinical instructions.“This manual is more than just a guide—it reflects our institution’s deep commitment to patient safety, clinical excellence, and the global fight against antimicrobial resistance,” she said with pride.

A Crisis That Can’t Be Ignored

The misuse and overuse of antibiotics have become a global health emergency. Bacteria are evolving faster than our medicines, creating drug-resistant infections that are harder — and sometimes impossible — to treat.

“Every time antibiotics are used without proper need or prescription, we risk making them weaker for the future,” said a senior doctor from LHMC. “This manual aims to ensure that every dose counts, every time.”

At LHMC, where thousands of patients are treated every day, the new policy aims to help doctors, nurses, and pharmacists work together to ensure antibiotics are prescribed only when truly needed — and in the right way.

A Guide for Every Ward and Every Doctor

From emergency rooms and ICUs to surgical wards and outpatient clinics, the policy offers clear, evidence-based protocols for antibiotic use. It relies on the hospital’s own antibiogram data — detailed reports showing how bacteria in the local environment respond to different drugs — to guide smarter treatment decisions.

By following a unified policy, LHMC hopes to minimize unnecessary prescriptions, shorten hospital stays, and prevent the rise of new resistant infections. 

“It’s about bringing consistency to care,” explained Dr. Beri. “When everyone follows the same evidence-based approach, outcomes improve, resistance drops, and patient safety rises.”

A Mission Rooted in Responsibility

For a government hospital like LHMC, where patients often come from underprivileged backgrounds, this initiative holds even deeper meaning.

“We serve a large and vulnerable population,” Dr. Beri said. “Many of our patients can’t afford long treatments or costly resistant infections. Rational antibiotic use isn’t just a medical goal — it’s our moral duty.”

Limited resources, crowded wards, and high infection rates make antibiotic stewardship a daily challenge. Yet LHMC’s team believes this policy will make a real difference — not just for their hospital, but as a model for others to follow.

A Call to Action for Healthcare Workers

Dr. Beri credited the Antibiotic Stewardship Committee for its tireless effort in putting together the manual and urged every healthcare professional to make it part of their daily routine.

“We all have a role to play — doctors, nurses, pharmacists, microbiologists. Let’s work together to ensure antibiotics remain effective for generations to come,” she urged.

As Dr. Beri said, “Every prescription is a responsibility. With this policy, we’re not just treating patients — we’re safeguarding the future of medicine itself.”