Unnecessary use of drip for minor ailments may be fatal: experts

LAHORE: While emphasising the need to create awareness among public regarding health issues, the medical experts have advised people to refrain from unnecessary use of drip for minor ailments.

“The wrong use of drip as a treatment can sometimes prove fatal too, and patient may lose his life too,” warned the experts while speaking at a seminar on “Principles of prescription of drips and its awareness” organised by Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman Memorial Society (MKRMS), Jang Group of Newspapers in collaboration with Otsuka Pakistan, Ltd, here at a local hotel on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Abdul Majeed Chaudhry, Principal Lahore Medical and Dental College, said that the lack of awareness and education is multiplying health issues, saying that drips were administered to the patients unnecessarily. He said that quacks were the major source of prescription of drips. He said that the standard of drips should be of good quality and the method of administering drips to the patients should be right and careful. Prof Dr Irshad Hussain Qureshi, Dean of Medicine, KEMU/Mayo Hospital, said that the drips were administered only to those patients, who suffer from dehydration due to excessive vomiting or loose motions. He pointed out that it was a misconception that the drips were a treatment for minor weaknesses. He also advised the drips should not be pricked. Prof Dr Mahmood Ayaz, Principal SIMS/Services Hospital, said that the drips were used to recover the loss of water in the body. He advised doctors and patients use drips of good quality because any reaction could prove detrimental for the health of the patient.

Prof Dr Arif Tajammal, Principal AIMC/Jinnah Hospital, said that drip was a life saving intervention, saying that the drips were also used for the treatment of acidity. He advised people to get a qualified doctor’s prescription before using drips, adding that drip should be administered by the trained medical staff. Prof Dr Ghias-un-Nabi Tayyab, Head of Medicine, Unit-I, PGMI/LGH, said that approximately Pakistan’s 10 percent population was suffering from hepatitis B&C and HIV/AIDS patients were also increasing alarmingly, and major cause of these disease was excessive use and reuse of injections and drips. “The injections and drips should not be used for regaining strength,” he said, adding that the screening of blood should be ensured before transfusion. Dr Ashraf Zia, Head of ICU, Jinnah Hospital, said that the most number of drips of three different fluids was used in ICUs. “The pricking of drips allows germs to penetrate in the solution,” he added.

Prof Dr Syeda Asifa, Head of Anaesthesia, Children’s Hospital, said that the quality control of drips was not effective. “It must be put in place immediately,” she added. She said that the bottle of drip should not be reused, because it could transmit germs in patient’s body.

Dr Alamgir Rao, Director DGHS, said that the drips were procured in bulk, which was not stored as per standard operation procedure. He stressed the need to store drips as per standards. Dr Tariq Mahmood Mian, President Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians, said that the medicines were available over-the-counter without qualified doctor’s prescription, which was increasing the magnitude of diseases and complicating the matters. He said that drugs in educational institutions were also triggering various diseases. Besides, Head of Gastroenterology, Jinnah Hospital, Dr Aftab Mohsin, PAFP President Dr Aftab Iqbal Sheikh, Hameed Latif Hospital, Nursing Manager Areeba, urologist Dr Asif Baloch also spoke on the occasion.

Muhammad Arshad of Otsuka Pakistan Ltd presented opening remarks, while Senior Product Manager Muhammad Wasi gave vote of thanks. Chairman MKRMS Wasif Nagi hosted the seminar.