Crisis in Homoeopathy – how to over come?
Prof (Dr). Eswara Das MD (Hom), PhD, MBA (Health Care)
India claims to be the world leader in Homeopathy with 3.5 lakh registered practitioners, 211 teaching institutions and with a massive public and private acceptance of the system in health care. This is happening in spite of a divided profession between orthodox vs neo classical schools; conventionalists’ with moderates; supporters of integrated practice vs puritans etc. The recent National Medical Commission Bill, 2018 brought majority of them together to denounce the proposed bridge course. The voice was loud and clear. The justifications that this would enhance the doctor patient ratio and promote rural health are certainly misleading; rather it would be the prelude to write the obituary of Homeopathy as it happened with Abraham Flexner Report in USA and Canada!
On a different spectrum, in the last few weeks, there was a movement initiated by the Central Council for Research in Homeopathy to create awareness about the flawed National Health and Medical Research Council Report, 2015 (NHMRC Report) of Australia and its repercussion on Homeopathy in India. This was through interactive meets on strategic position of India in the Homeopathic world at different places. Ms Rachel Roberts, Chief Executive from the Homeopathy Research Institute (HRI), who initiated a crusade to create awareness on the biased, erroneous and motivated NHMRC report, which was drafted with ulterior motive to defame Homeopathy, had exposed the inaccuracies. The participants got to know the intentions behind a biased Commission!
Recently, there has been news that the Ministry of AYUSH is considering merging the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia Laboratory (HPL) with Pharmacopeia Laboratory of Indian Medicine (PLIM) to form one single AYUSH Pharmacopeia Laboratory and the Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH) with Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) through a unified National AYUSH Commission Bill. These are very important policy matters related to Homeopathy. Has the profession been kept in the dark?. If this information is correct, there is an urgency to take up the matter with the Ministry of AYUSH. As far as we know, the Niti Ayog drafted separate Bills for Indian Medicine and Homeopathy. Similarly, the fate of one Homeopathy Drug Manufacturing unit under Central Govt, approved in 12th Plan is unknown.
The professional organisations are fragmented. For many of them organising periodic conferences has become a business. There is a need to take the system from the cross road with one voice. About 13000 young students who joins in the Homeopathic colleges annually need career options. They need a profession that motivate their future. About 7500 teachers, who teach them need assurance about their bread, forget about butter. Private institutions that produced the best of the practitioners in the system are gagged between the iron fist of regulations and unscientific poor fee structure. The Govt college teachers, who are comforted with security and social position, are too contented that they do not want to take any new responsibilities. The regulatory Council is confused with their role in regularising education and practice.
Are we lacking leadership and the development of Homeopathy is going rudderless. Is Homeopathy in India on life support system? Whether the background for another Flexner like report is in the making to annihilate the Indian Homeopathy? A crisis is looming on Homeopathy!
Still there is a ray of hope. We have a Prime Minister, who advises surgeons and clerics to use Homeopathy. We have a soft Minister, who is approachable and listen to everyone with a smile. We have a technocrat as Secretary who understands the pulse of traditional medical systems. The profession need to unite to put the right perspective to them on policies related to development of Homeopathy. We need good public and private teaching institutions. The fees charged by the private primary schools are better than professional Homeopathic colleges. The fee structure of the teaching intuitions should be the one that is good enough to instil quality teaching. We need curriculums that motivate the students and concurrent with the scientific fervour. The postgraduate education should aim on creating ideas, facilitate nurturing innovation. The field of research should be opened to material and biological scientists for better understanding of basic and fundamental principles of Homeopathy. We need a better equipped HPL for quality assurance with more state drug testing labs. We need a strong and purposeful regulatory Council. The gap in the existing health care could be filled by empowering the practitioners of concerned system to use their own medicines.
Mutual respect of systems begets development, misunderstandings to perils.
Prof (Dr). Eswara Das MD (Hom), PhD, MBA (Health Care)
mail: eswaradas@gmail.com
*Editorial in Advancement in Homeopathic Research ( formerly Asian Journal of Homeopathy)
It’s unfortunate that all the points raised Dr E. Das, had been brought to his / authorities attention many a times earlier. He being a nice gentleman probably couldn’t do much against the contemporary egoistic self centered office bearers busy in drawing gains only from various sources, it appears. The homeopathic system of medicine hardly made any forward move because regionalism and poltics took upper hand. Incompetents most of the time ruled. The bridge course stopped because of the vehement opposition of classical practitioners and MCI all OVER INDIA. Now we have a technobeaurocrat to look after cch. But again he is bound by the dominant group of the council. After all homeopaths remained deprived to such an extent that after gaining power, big or small, they compromised maximum for their chair. Under such circumstances it’s obvious directionless apex bodies with lack of vision keep themselves busy in non-professional gains. The hearsay is it’s a small amount of money, and petty politics that matters in all aspects like numbers of teachers, courses and curriculum, awards of degrees, grants of research scheme and funding, WITHOUT ANY APPROPRIATE AUDIT ON FUNCTIONS OF THESE INSTITUTIONS.
True sir,but freedom to doctors for prescription must be given,all the teachers/stalwarts get enough time almost 6years in graduate and 3years in post graduate to give knowledge about Homeopathy further pass and fail is in their hands still they fear for crosspathy and destruction of Homoeopathy?why? Then where is lacunae ?quality of education is not being compromised ?corruptions?further things can not be said as it is self destructive?
I agree with Dr Eswara Das when he warns that homeopaths must be vigilant. The UK was once a stronghold of homeopathy and homeopathy seemed indestructible there. The enemies of homeopathy used a phony Science and Technology Committee report to claim homeopathy had no scientific basis. Based on that they managed to close or diminish all the homeopathic hospitals. The NHMRC in Australia produced another phony study and used it to harass homeopaths. The two studies taken together are now being used by the US FDA to tr and limit access to remedies. Many remedies are no longer available in the U.S. This is a worldwide conspiracy by the Pharmaceutical industry to remove the competition. Pharma uses its influence to get laws passed that suppress homeopathy. At the same time, they use the media to malign and ridicule homeopathy to the public. It is urgent that the homeopathic community in India convinces the government to pass laws against disparaging homeopathy. Also, the community needs to be wary of any law that could be used to suppress homeopathy. Sometimes these laws are disguised as harmless “regulations”. The legislator who proposes those laws or regulations, is usually the person taking money from Pharma.