A separate council for AYUSH- Is it beneficial to Homeopathy?

Dr Mansoor Ali
NCHERA- There is one more Bill seems to be almost ready for AYUSH !!

Govt of India has contemplated to form National Council for Higher Education and Research in Ayush (NCHERA).

This council will supervise all educational and research activities pertaining to AYUSH.

The National Commission for Human Resources for Health Bill – NCHRH 2011-  as introduced in the Rajya Sabha, on 22nd December, 2011 to promote human resources in health sector and provide for mechanism for the determination, maintenance, coordination and regulation of standards of health education throughout the country to ensure adequate availability of human resources in all the States – solely for the Allopathic System of Medicine.

But Homoeopathy Comes under NCHERA with limited resources and powers.

I have tried to deliberate on the concerns.

Separating from the main stream will be detrimental to Homoeopathy, we being still at the beginning stages as an emerging healthcare option.

Homoeopathy deserve more intense research strategies & initiatives and by utilising fields like chemistry, nano technology, pathology etc in order to prove its scientificity better. The IIT Powai findings by Dr Jayesh Bellare (Extreme dilutions in Homoeopathy – A nanoparticulate perspective) is just a curtairaiser in this direction.

For that the larger research facilities integrated with other systems of medicine and other branches of sciences (pure sciences) are inevitable, which can materialize, if only we be the part of the larger Healthcare spectrum & Health Sciences University and in common healthcare perspectives which includes any future legislation by Govt of India related to Healthcare, Human resources in healthcare, etc. Homoeopathy cannot stand alone.

Study materials, books, syllabus etc are more or less same as allopathic system of medicine with Homoeopthic subjects added on. Being a stream of medicine which is of a European descend and an offshoot or rather ramified from then schools of medicines, Homoepathy is less closer to Indigenous systems of medicine & has a greater proximity to mainstream or conventional medicines.

Separating from the mainstream by legislation eventually would lead to cease the development of Homoeopathy in future which shall mean the loss of a great healthcare opportunity to masses in medical treatment at an imminent post-antibiotic era (as perceived from NDM strains) & drug-induced diseases in chronic ailments.

The outcry for wholistic approach in medical treatment echoes across the world healthcare scenario. Homoeopathy has to develop close to mainstream medicine rather than remain as an alternative system of medicine forever.

A certificate issued by AYUSH have comparatively negligible value than that of a common medical university or council  as regards to job opportunities and prospects in other areas and countries.

Another observation is that separating the Medical Sciences under different headings may create unhealthy ego clashes, wastage of national resources and competitions among the alternative systems, which shall lead to undesirable, unethical practices, wrong practices in claims of funds related to extramural research programmes in the field of Health Services.

A Retrograde step
AYUSH to be integrated with mainstream health services

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on August 13,2009 approved the continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for AYUSH Hospitals and Dispensaries.

This was introduced during the 10th Five Year Plan with certain modifications for supporting the mainstreaming of AYUSH under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) at a total expenditure of Rs.650 crore.

The basic objectives of the scheme are to encourage the opening of general and specialized AYUSH treatment centers in allopathic hospitals with a view to integrate AYUSH health services with mainstream health services in the country, and to provide assistance to the State Government for the procurement and supply of essential drugs to AYUSH hospitals and dispensaries.

The scheme will provide AYUSH health care facilities to the people at large and will be implemented in all the State/Union Territories of the country.

The NRHM seeks to revitalize local health traditions and mainstream AYUSH (including manpower and drugs), to strengthen the Public Health System at all levels. It is decided that AYUSH medications shall be included in the drug kit of ASHA, The additional supply of generic drugs for common ailments at SC/PHC/CHC levels under the Mission shall also include AYUSH formulations. At the CHC level two rooms shall be provided for AYUSH practitioner and pharmacist under the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) model.  At the same time, single Doctor PHCs shall be upgraded totwo Doctor PHCs by inducting AYUSH practitioner at that level Improving the availability of AYUSH treatment faculties and integrating it with the existing Health Care Service Delivery System.

NRHM is the combination of national  programmes, namely, the Reproductive and Child  Health II project, (RCH II) the National Disease  Control Programmes (NDCP) and the Integrated  Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) with Homoeopathy.

But this step of formation of NCHERA may be in the retrograde direction.

Be in the mainstream – not in the side line

I think it is better to be a part of NCHRH 2011 after the required amendment for the overall growth and development of the Homoeopathy than  NCHERA

As per NCHRH 2011 draft – ‘Medicine’ means only allopathy,health professional means only allopaths…then the same Government may call Homeopaths as Health professionals in another bill NCHERA? – Is it possible? Never.That will surely contradict. What may be the denotation to Homeopathy medicines?…to name other than word ‘medicine’.

An integrated panel related to healthcare delivery and academics with well represented allopathic and alternative medicine experts shall be a much healthier apex level of control than independency which shall only help close doors of any levels of Integration between systems on any future date. Allopaths and their associated institutes will definitely close the door legally and substantially with claim.

We are already fed up with some of our bodies like CCH.

At least we have to learn something from our past.

Still some of our leaders are forcing and in favor of this separate body. Why?

Please think about this matter seriously and express your opinion here.
Which will definitely reach the concerned authorities including Govt of India?

2 Comments

  1. Respected Sir/Madam, We the AYUSH doctors are very unfortunate after The National Commission for Human Resources for Health Bill – NCHRH 2011- as introduced in the Rajya Sabha, on 22nd December, 2011 which excludes AYUSH DEPARTMENT & DRUGS. There are many things to say about the irregularities & non-coperatives of NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH MISSION , we are very much harrassed. Please take decision after seeing the reports of CENTRAL REVIEW MISSION, how AYUSH Doctors do in the contractual jobs.The AYUSH Doctors
    1.involved & actively participated in ALL THE NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAMMES
    2. prescribing & dispensing AYUSH medicines
    3. in PHC(N) takes active role in patient cure witout support of any allopathic staff.
    4. doing emergency duties.
    What should we call the AYUSH MEDICINES ?
    WE are not DOCTORS , then what we are ?
    After all please close all the AYUSH MEDICAL COLLEGES then there is nothing to ammend in the bill for them thereafter. Thanking You
    Dr. Kailash Ch Sahoo
    Medical Officer(AYUSH)
    UGPHC,PATKURA,KENDRAPARA
    STATE- ODISSA

  2. Let me spell out that I am too of the view of united national commission and I feel that the exclusion of AYUSH from the proposed bill is really unfortunate.All systems, traditional or conventional are devoted to healthcare goals. There is no sense in fragmenting the systems except the reason of administrative convenience for those who will be managing the affairs.On one hand the Government of India has swearing for the cause of integration and mainstreaming of AYUSH with Allopathy but whenever the occasion comes to frame real policies they are critically opposite of the promise.I hope you are aware about the hot debates on the proposal of computing the national ratio of Doctors vs the population in Planning Commission in the steering committee meeting of 12th five year plan. Many members specially sitting Advisers of the GOI. seriously objected the proposal of calculating the doctor : population ratio including the AYUSH doctors, saying that the AYUSH doctors are not doctors and we should not count them for this purpose. I was really disappointed with such an attitude of influential people.Thanks to the Chairperson who overruled the objections.

    I agree with you that the basic promise of integration and mainstreaming of AYUSH should not be compromised. The proposed Rajya Sabha Bill is seriously against that central spirit I think the department of AYUSH , GOI should come forward to intervene.

    However, let me correct some of your statements which do not appear true..There are definitely about a dozen Health Universities affiliating all medical system colleges and Ayush colleges together but none of those Heath universities came forward to open an AYUSH college or Ayush Faculty on their campus.These universities are not impartial in all matters of Ayush education.You have said that presently there is not even a single AYUSH University. This statement too in not true. Presently there are about half a dozen Ayurved/Ayush Universities established by state Governments who affiliate all Aayush system colleges including Homoeopathy besides having their own constituent college/Faculty on their Campus. They are Gujarat Ayurved university Jamnagar, Rajasthen Ayurved University Jodhpur, Uttarakhand Ayush University Deharadoon, Panjab State AYUSH University Hosiarpur, Chhattishgarh AYUSH and Health University Raipur and Kerala state AYUSH and Health university where there is a provision of Pro Vice chancellor from Ayush Sector while the VC is a modern medicine man. I have been suggesting that all Health Universities and Ayush Universities should not only affiliate the existing AYUSH colleges in a passive manner, rather should also have their constituent college or a faculty on their campus.

    Sincerely Yours and with Best Regards
    Prof. Ram Harsh Singh
    Professor Emeritus
    Faculty of Ayurveda
    Banaras Hindu University
    Varanasi

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