Patients who travel back after their treatment may just have the flu

The indiscriminate use of antibiotics to treat common ailments in India is the cause of development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Patients who return to their home countries after undergoing medical procedures in India carry these antibiotic-resistant strains with them. 

Senior paediatrician Dr Farhan Shaikh says, “Patients who travel back after their treatment may just have the flu, but the medicines that are prescribed to them in their home country do not work. When that happens, the infection becomes more severe, leading to complications, for which the patients have to seek a higher level of care. This is the main reason why other countries are pointing fingers at India. Also, the food in India contains pesticides, which is another cause for the development of antibiotic resistance.”