Overview
- In the December 28 broadcast, the Prime Minister urged people to avoid self-medication and to take antibiotics only on a doctor's advice.
- He referenced ICMR data showing commonly used antibiotics are losing effectiveness for infections such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections.
- He cautioned that faith in quick fixes is strengthening infections and undermining life‑saving medicines.
- Clinicians echoed the warning, with an AIIMS microbiology professor saying misuse delays treatment, raises costs, and forces use of more toxic, expensive drugs with higher risks of serious illness and death.
- After the address, the National Medical Commission chief backed the call and pledged awareness efforts across its institutions, though no new regulatory steps were reported.