In view of reducing the misuse and overuse of antibiotics by the general public, the Department of Microbiology, has successfully conducted an awareness programme for the grade 10 students and teachers of Hindu Ladies’ College, Jaffna on the responsible use of antibiotics on 28.08.2025 morning from 7.30 – 11.00 am. Verbal approval from the school principal was obtained and approval was sought from the Provincial Director, Department of Education.
Student awareness programme
The programme was conducted from 8.00 am onwards for about 1 ¼ hours per group. Two hundred and six students participated. A pretest was done at the beginning, followed by an interactive discussion session in small groups of around 25 students in each, role play by the students (who were trained by the department staff the previous week) and a posttest.
Performance of students in the pretest was compared to their performance in the posttest (minimum possible score was 0 and the maximum 10). The mean, median and mode scores of the students in the pretest were 5.9, 6, and 6 and those in the posttest were 8.6, 9, and 10 respectively.
Certificates were awarded to all the students who got the maximum score of 10 in the posttest (66 students) and to those who performed well in the role-play.
Awareness session for the teachers
A discussion session by Dr Valarmathy with the teachers was held from 7.30 am for about two hours on the sensible use of antibiotics and the consequences of unnecessary and inappropriate use of it. Around 50 teachers actively participated in the discussion and it was decided to have a further discussion session on another day after school hours as the teachers wanted to discuss this more.
Funding was sought from the University for the Outreach Programme (accounts and bills attached). It is hoped that with the support of the supporting staff and temporary demonstrators of the department, such awareness programmes will continue to be held to improve sensible use of antibiotics.
Acknowledgements:
- A big thank you is due to all the students and teachers of Hindu Ladies’ College, Jaffna who actively participated with great enthusiasm in the discussions and role play.
- A big thanks to the teachers of Hindu Ladies’ College, Jaffna, Ms Nixsala Nitharsan and Ms Yasothara Santhakumar for all their support with the logistics and in training the students for the role play.
- My sincere thanks to the Principal, Hindu Ladies’ College, Jaffna for allowing us to conduct this awareness programme.
- Thanks are also due to our Dean who has wholeheartedly supported our outreach programmes.
- My thanks to Ms Bennita and Ms Luxika, temporary demonstrators, DCFM for their support as facilitators and Dr Kumaran, Head, DCFM and Dr Coonghe for releasing them.
- My sincere gratitude to the supporting staff and temporary demonstrators of the Department of Microbiology for their whole hearted support for this programme from the beginning and for being the facilitators for the student sessions.
- An immense thanks to Mr M Ragikaran, Technical Officer, Department of Microbiology, who is the Coordinator for this awareness programme, for all his hard work and for making this outreach programme a success.
