Voice of Healthcare And HORIBA India Host Impactful Roundtable On Diagnostic Stewardship To Combat Antibiotic Misuse
Voice of Healthcare (VOH), in partnership with HORIBA India, convened a landmark roundtable in New Delhi on "The Role of Diagnostics in Curbing the Irrational Use of Antibiotics at the Point of Care." The programme brought together leading clinicians, policymakers, microbiologists, and diagnostics professionals to discuss antimicrobial resistance (AMR) — recently announced as the second biggest global health threat after climate change.
India continues to be one of the most affected countries for AMR because of irrational antibiotic use, unrestricted over-the-counter sales, and non-evidence-based prescribing practices, particularly in the ICUs and emergency departments. In spite of the technologies available, cheap and prompt diagnosis is unavailable, leading to over-prescription and misuse of antibiotics. The roundtable hoped to cover diagnostic stewardship as one of the solutions.
The conference was formally opened with a keynote address given by Dr Naveen Nishchal, Founder Chairman, VOH, referring to the AMR global awareness and need for collaboration for all parties at this pivotal moment. Dr. Rajeev Gautam, Sr. Corporate Officer, HORIBA Ltd. Japan & President, HORIBA India, provided thoughts on HORIBA's CSR initiative towards preventive healthcare awareness.
Dr. Rajeev Gautam, Sr. Corporate Officer, HORIBA Ltd. Japan and President, HORIBA India, followed with a keynote from an industry leader’s perspective. He shared how HORIBA — traditionally known for its global leadership in medical diagnostics, bio life sciences, automotive and semiconductor sectors — conceived this initiative as part of their healthcare Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment in India. “This gathering isn’t about technology showcases; it’s about creating awareness and bringing diverse stakeholders to one table. While we do have diagnostic instruments, our focus today is building a movement of sensitivity and shared responsibility around the effective use of antibiotics.” remarked Dr. Gautam, affirming HORIBA’s dedication to public health advocacy.This program was a CSR initiative by HORIBA India to promote awareness for preventive healthcare, contributing to the overall well-being of the society.
Supported by Dr. Ravi Gaur, Chairperson, Medical Advisory Committee, Oncquest Laboratories, the panel discussion brought to the fore the manner in which AMR slowly builds up into uncontrollable infections and how point-of-care (PoC) testing can help in avoiding its spread. Dr. Lata Kapoor, Additional Director, NCDC, MoHFW, made the observation about AMR as a "silent pandemic" and highlighted the importance of PoC diagnostics being part of India's national AMR strategy.
The roundtable passed through two sessions — specifying present diagnostic gaps and breaking out into scalable, strategic recommendations. The recommendations were the utilisation of hospital antibiograms, upscaled AMR surveillance, promotion of syndromic PoC diagnostics, and building clinician stewardship education. Experts also said to take such initiatives out to non-metro regions into tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and rural counties.
Closing addresses by Dr. Kapoor and Dr. Gaur highlighted the importance of decision-making based on diagnostics, policy convergence, and national awareness. This was followed by a networking dinner to further enhance cooperation.
This roundtable is an important milestone towards establishing diagnostic channels, prudent use of antibiotics, and strengthening India's fight against AMR through collective stakeholder action.
