Dr Eswara Das MD (Hom), MBA( Health Care)
We have a problem if Allopath wants to study Homeopathy. We have problem if Homeopaths wants to study Allopathy. We have a problem when Homeopaths prescribe combinations, we have a problem when Homeopaths prescribe formulations, we have a problem when a Homeopath use life support system, we have a problem when a Homeopaths uses minimal surgical interventions, we a problem if somebody conduct a delivery, we have a problem when somebody prescribe based on Mental generals, we a problem when somebody specialises on dreams, — we have a problem everywhere. We don’t have a solution on any!
As far as the Organon of Medicine, no where Hahnemann prohibits use of Surgery, when required. In Homeopathy there is lot of medicines , that we could use in certain surgical conditions like fracture, ano rectal fistula, podiatic disorders, haemorrhoids, burns. What is required is to develop the skill in the medical students. If these skills are developed during the education, they can be an asset to manage these conditions.
There was a demand from some Allopaths to study Homeopathy. The regulators and the Homeopathic profession vehemently opposed this demand. Education is a fundamental right of every citizen in the country. The opposition was not based on any logic but because of fear of losing my bread to him!. This great opportunity would have brought some good brains into Homeopathy. The regulator always has an option to grant registration based on an independent evaluation of each candidate. . We lost an opportunity. In our colleges, we take allopathic graduates to teach allied science, we have an idiosyncrasy on them getting trained in Homeopathy.
There was a demand from some quarters to learn Allopathic Pharmacology by Homeopaths. We opposed it again. Again denying somebody’s fundamental right. There is no force on anybody on taking this optional course. The fear of losing our numbers forcing to keep legal quackery in some parts of the country.
Homeopaths around the world celebrated the 260th birth anniversary of Master Hahnemann in April. Almost everywhere new pledge, new declaration and new resolutions have been taken. The acceptability of Homeopathy is increasing, so also the criticisms. Patrons and promoters of Homeopathy are increasing so also the detractors.
Does it happen anywhere else other than in this medical discipline that remained a controversy ever since it was introduced in 1810? To many, Homeopathy is a religion, to some it is passion, for some it is a science, for few it is an art. Some consider it the nano science, some others consider it quantum medicine, yet others consider the ultimate panacea. Still we get the report of Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, Science and Technology Committee report of UK and very recently, the FDA notification on their intention to look into the regulatory aspects of Homeopathic Medicine in USA, after remaining being unregulated marketing over 50 years. We saw the Abraham Flexner Report that killed Homeopathy in 1910
We have the largest number of Homeopathic teaching institutions, now 191. About 12000 young students take admissions in these institutions to be the doctors of tomorrow. The education special is important in one sense that, it makes an effort to understand the perception towards Homeopathy from different quarters- the aspirations of the students, the expectations of the parents, the motivation of the colleges, the responsibility of the regulators, the objective of the Government etc.
I have been a contributor to the Education field for a long time and meticulously read most of the articles appear in every journals. Some of the ideas comes out in these issues are really great; sad enough to see that the people who are expected to read, either are not reading or ignoring the ideas emerging through these articles. Thus we stand where started and trying to reinvent the wheel!
We have a system where people are committed to their system limited to the speeches. If at all Homeopathy has to come out of its glitches and aspire to be nano medicine or quantum medicine, we need to bring innovations in the teaching. “I scratch your back, you scratch my back” attitude should change. We should have a gut feeling to look beyond what others think. Go with the aspirations of the students; go with the expectations of the parents who send their wards to the colleges of Homeopathy.
Should, the growth and development of Homeopathy be restrictive to the individual idiosyncrasies or should it go beyond the personal perceptions. Yes it should go beyond the personal perceptions to make it a game changer in health. We prefer to keep Homeopathy a protected science. We are scared of opening the tenets of Homeopathy for validation. We interpret the concepts based on our convenience. We prefer to remain isolated at individual level, institutional level, professional level, organisational level, say at every level so as to save from challenges that would emerge. Unless there is an honest effort to face the challenges, progress in the science may not become easy. The academicians should be facilitator to ideas, facilitators to ask questions and facilitators to change.
The campus of the Homeopathy College should become incubating centres of ideas. The students should be vibrant with innovation. The faculties should have the ability to incubate the ideas of the students to innovations. The Homeopathic institutions should become centres of excellence in academics, research and patient care service. These should form the centres for Drug development, quality assurance and also centres for personality development of the young doctors. Instead what we have and how we perceive our institutions are merely becoming factories of a breed neither confidence nor competence.
Dr. ESWARA DAS MD (Hom), MBA( Health Care)
Former Director, National Institute of Homoeopathy
E mail: daseswar@yahoo.com
Great sir, I believe there are no problems without solutions , the thing is we do not want to solve them . We are afraid of accepting our weaknesses and face challenges. We need to have more well equipped research centers and no more new institutions please . We already have enough of them . Lets first standardize them , improve the standards of the faculty so that we bring out confident doctors, create better job opportunities. We are merely wasting our time in proving others wrong rather than improving ourselves. Lets all join our hands together and bring forward this beautiful science i.e HOMEOPATHY.
Prof Dr Harcharanjeet Kaur
Ph.D , M.D (Hom)
A great discussion has been initiated by Dr Eswara Das. Let us make our serious comment with a hope that problem may be surfaced,but a solution will always be evident.The parents of our students will ever remain thankful to the leaders of our homoeopathy esp.CCH,CCRH,NIH…………..
The very theme of the comment of Dr. Eswara Das is “It is late but never too late”.The every facet of Homoeopathy is like elephant’s teeth– “khane ke aur,dikhane ke kuchh aur”.The profession of Homoeopathy has been nurtured by individuals who are only ready to speak but never prepared to listen and hardly ever ready to share.The best example is inspite of making so many claims of success in clinical work ,no study material has yet been prepared in the subject Homoeopathic Therapeutics which can be considered as a text book in the U G & P G educational institutions under the supervision of GREAT c c h.Among so many possible reasons,one reason is that the four pillar subjects of the profession Homoeopathy need to be exhaustively revisited in the present context of the undisputable knowledge base of the Medical Sciences,which is being taught as a part of the curriculum.Let us develop the habit of saying –“We are the members of a profession , not a religion”
We Need to rectify our Basics blunders, 1. Having Medical colleges without teaching Hospitals, even today we are in a hurry to start MD courses without basic a infrastructure.
Young students and their parents are asking for the best , its only possible by providing standardized institutions
Very true sir, facts that many of us do not have willingness to accept or courage to speak.