Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (JD)

Udupi, Nov 20: Kasturba Hospital Manipal organized a cyclathon to spread awareness on antimicrobials as part of World antimicrobial awareness week. The cyclathon was flagged off by Lt general Dr M D Venkatesh, vice chancellor, Manipal academy of higher education in front of the Kasturba Hospital outpatient department.

More than 100 cyclists participated in the cyclathon. The cyclathon went through the Udupi city, Dr TMA Pai hospital and ended in IMA Bhavana here.

Speaking on the occasion the Lt general Dr M D Venkatesh said, “This is a very important event for Manipal. This week is celebrated by WHO worldwide. We are the pioneers in spreading awareness about the antimicrobials. Earlier antimicrobial resistance was confined to the  healthcare institutions. But over the last 30 years it has gone to the community. It is the misuse, abuse, insufficient use which causes the  antimicrobial resistance. We are losing around 1.4 million people to antimicrobial resistance in the world, which is far higher than the mortality during the pandemic. So awareness programs are very very important in this regard. More programs will be organized over this week for the same”.

Lt general Dr Madhuri Kanitkar, vice chancellor, Maharashtra health science university, Nashik, speaking on the occasion, said, “It is very good that this cyclathon is addressing two of the issues at one time, namely  fitness awareness and antimicrobial awareness. May you peddle to keep ahead of all the microbes".

Dr Sharath Kumar Rao, dean, KMC, Dr Chiranjay Mukhopadhyay, associate dean, Dr Shashikiran Umakanth, medical superintendent, Dr TMA Pai Hospital, Dr Vandana, head department of Microbiology, Dr Muralidhar Verma and others were present on the occasion.