The state has achieved a milestone in its efforts to control antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with 83 hospitals in the state getting the status of antibiotic smart hospitals and five panchayats being declared antibiotic literate panchayats fulfilling all the prescribed criteria for the same.
Among the 83 hospitals with smart antibiotics, 73 are at the primary care level, four are at the secondary level, and one is at the tertiary level.
These institutions have been declared antibiotic smart after a rigorous evaluation process conducted at the institutional, block, district and state levels to verify that the prescribed norms have been met.
Under the Kerala Antimicrobial Resistance Strategic Action Plan (KARSAP), the state has conceptualized the ideas of antibiotic smart hospitals and antibiotic literate local government institutions as part of strengthening antimicrobial resistance control initiatives.
Comprehensive operational instructions were issued for the implementation of the program, on the basis of which accreditations were granted.
Antibiotic smart hospitals
Antibiotic Smart Hospitals are healthcare facilities that implement a pragmatic model of antimicrobial and diagnostic surveillance while ensuring compliance with standard infection prevention and control (IPC) practices.
These hospitals act as a source of continuous “information, education and communication” (IEC) activities for healthcare professionals and the public, thereby promoting participatory management.
Some of the criteria include displaying AMR posters in Malayalam, AwaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) antibiotic classification posters to guide rational use of antibiotics, regular public meetings and quarterly prescribing audits.
About 95% of antibiotics used in outpatient departments (OPDs) in primary care hospitals should be from the Access category (broad-spectrum antibiotics used for common infections with a lower risk of resistance), while in secondary care it is 90% and in tertiary care 85%. At all levels of hospitals, 60% of the total number of antibiotics prescribed should be from the Access category.
In secondary and tertiary care hospitals, functional infection control committees and antimicrobial stewardship committees are a must. If more than two antibiotics are combined or if antibiotics are continued for more than seven days, the same reason must be documented. The nosocomial infection control committee should conduct surveillance with respect to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Antibiotic literate panchayats
The concept of antibiotic literate panchayats has been introduced by the state based on the One Health approach. The panchayats that have achieved this distinction are Kakkodi, Panavally, Thakazhy, Viyapuram and Chettikulangara.
The first tertiary level antibiotic smart hospital is Ernakulam General Hospital. The secondary level hospitals that have achieved this distinction are Fort Kochi taluk Hospital, Chengannur District Hospital, Alappuzha District Hospital and Alappuzha Women and Children Hospital.
Efforts are on to convert all hospitals and LSGs in the state into antibiotic-smart institutions in a time-bound manner, Health Minister Veena George said here.
Published – 14 March 2026 20:24 IST
