GMC Srinagar Organises One Day CME on Antibiotic Stewardship Program ASP 2025
Government Medical College Srinagar organised a one day Continuing Medical Education programme titled Antibiotic Stewardship Program ASP 2025. The programme focused on safe and evidence based use of antibiotics and practical measures to reduce antimicrobial resistance in hospital practice.
The Department of Anaesthesia, Critical Care, Pain and Palliative Medicine organised the CME under the leadership of Prof (Dr) Hina Bashir Shah, Head of the Department. Faculty members, clinicians, residents, and healthcare professionals from multiple specialties participated in the programme.
Prof (Dr) Iffat Hassan Shah, Principal and Dean, Government Medical College Srinagar, inaugurated the programme. She emphasised the need for strong institutional antimicrobial stewardship systems. She highlighted guideline based prescribing, regular prescription audits, and effective coordination among departments. She stated that rational antibiotic use directly improves patient safety and quality of care.
Addressing the gathering, Prof (Dr) Hina Bashir Shah stated that critical care and perioperative services play a central role in antibiotic stewardship. She stressed early and appropriate initiation of antibiotics, timely de escalation guided by microbiological data, accurate dosing, and strict adherence to perioperative prophylaxis guidelines. She highlighted ICU based prescription audits, antimicrobial time outs, and multidisciplinary stewardship teams as practical tools to reduce resistance and hospital acquired infections.
The scientific programme included two focused sessions, a keynote lecture, and a panel discussion.
Session I was chaired by Prof (Dr) Rakesh Koul, Prof (Dr) Rehana Tabassum, Prof (Dr) Aasifa Nazir, and Prof Dr Syed Masuma Rizvi.
Dr Sobia Nisar spoke on empirical antibiotic policies in OPDs and emergency departments.
Dr Syed Mudasir Qadri discussed rational antibiotic use in ICUs.
Dr Munazah Manzoor spoke on de-escalation strategies and optimisation of antibiotic duration.
Speakers emphasised culture guided therapy and early review of antibiotic prescriptions.
Session II was chaired by Prof (Dr) Iqbal Saleem, Prof (Dr) Naveed Nazir, Prof (Dr) Mohammad Akbar, and Prof (Dr) Shaheen Parveen.
Dr Zahid Nadaf spoke on perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis and adherence to guidelines.
Dr Syed Suraiya Farooq discussed antimicrobial therapy in ventilator associated pneumonia.
Dr Mohammad Younis Bhat spoke on prescription auditing in ICU practice.
The session highlighted audit and feedback as effective methods to improve prescribing behaviour.
The keynote lecture was delivered by Prof (Dr) Aejaz Nabi Koul, Professor and Head, Department of Medicine and Infectious Diseases, SKIMS. He addressed antimicrobial resistance as a global threat and an institutional responsibility. He discussed resistance trends, drivers of irrational antibiotic use, and the role of surveillance linked to stewardship and infection prevention practices.
An interactive panel discussion on Antibiotic Stewardship in Practice at GMC Srinagar was moderated by Dr Arshi Taj, Associate Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology.
Panelists included Dr Muzaffar Maqbool, Dr Rubina Shaheen, Dr Zahid Nadaf, Dr Aejaz Nabi Koul, Dr M Akbar Shah, Dr Syed Sajad, Dr Rayees Najib, Dr Mohammad Sadiq Malla, Prof (Dr) S M Saleem Khan, and Dr Shaiqa Farooq.
The panel discussed local resistance patterns, diagnostic stewardship, clinician compliance, and practical steps for sustained implementation of the Antibiotic Stewardship Program at GMC Srinagar.
The programme concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship across all departments through continuous training, regular audits, and institutional support.
