An Obituary: A Big Loss to Homoeopathy (7- 03 -1924 – 13 -12 -2011)
Dr. Navneet Bidani
It is with great sadness that I write that our respected teacher, Dr. Diwan Harish Chand has passed away today morning (13th Dec 2011). I pray to God to give the strength to bear this massive loss to Dr. Diwan Harish Chand’s family & the entire Homoeopathic fraternity.
Diwan Harish Chand was born on 7th March 1924 at Lahore (Punjab). He graduated in medicine (M.B.B.S.) in 1945 and spent more than 60 years in the study and practice of Homoeopathy. He acquired the highest qualifications in Homoeopathy and in general medicine. He was having a vast clinical experience of working in hospitals in UK and USA and with Dr. Pierre Schmidt in Switzerland.
He was actively involved in teaching programmes and lectures in very many countries for the last 50 years. Dr.Diwan represented Indian Homoeopaths for long at LHMI as its President. He also served as Vice President of Central Council of Homoeopathy. He served Homoeopathy in various capacities both at official level as well as at institutional way. He participated in more than 50 international Congresses (including 25 of LMHI).
He is the only ASIAN PRESIDENT and later PRESIDENT OF HONOUR of the international Homoeopathy medical league (L.M.H.I.). His years of toil, relentless perseverance, has conferred upon him more than 20 awards, National and International and very numerous honorary diplomas and fellowships. This includes the most prestigious award in medicine-the Dhanwantari award having been adjudged “the most outstanding medical man of the year.” This award is for all disciplines (Allopathy, Ayurveda and Homoeopathy) and he was the first homoeopath who received it.
On 24th April 2011 Dr.A.K.Walia, Hon’ble Minister of Health & Family welfare Govt. of Delhi conferred the Homoeo Rattan Award first ever to Dr. Diwan Harish Chand, for his contribution to the cause of homoeopathy in a function celebrating 256th birth anniversary of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann organized by Board of Homoeopathic System of Medicine and Delhi Homoeopathic Federation.
This 1st December LIGA 2011 also expressed their respect by honoring him. He was the honorary physician to the Presidents of India from 1969 to 1997.
Dr. Diwan Harish Chand’s painstaking efforts, have given to Homoeopathy priceless works like: A Compendium of Lectures on Homoeopathy; Microdoses Megaresults (Clinical Cases) and Homoeopathy in Geriatrics and co-edited with Dr. Pierre Schimdt Kent’s Final General Repertory. He has been a member of every Homoeopathy committee of the government of India during the last 50 years and chairman of committees on research, education and pharmacopeias.
He was actively involved in social service avenues of Rotary club of Delhi; in civil defence; Aids Awareness and Family Welfare programmes. Besides all these activities he was a sportsman, keen photographer and philatelist.
Dr. Diwan Harish Chand’s demise is an irreparable loss to the Homoeopathic Fraternity. His writings will live with us and he will always be remembered for all the great things he has done for our wonderful healing art.
May his soul rest in peace.
May his rest in peace…
Shocked and grieved to learn about the sad demise of Dr Diwan Harish Chand. Used to meet him often in conferences and during IIHP Meets, He always was ahead of the times and always had a scientific approach. He was always approchable to his junior colleagus and had no airs as some seniors have today. Feel extremely sad that though I learnt a lot from him over the last twenty years, I just learnt about his demise. It is a great loss to Homoeopathy. May his soul rest in peace and may GOD grant forbearance to his family to bear his loss.