Need for a mental health policy in Homoeopathy

Dr. Ravi M. Nair
(President, State Medical Council of Homoeopathy & Former Advisor (Homoeopathy to GOI)
At Seminar on Homoeopathy in Mental Health at CRI (H), Kottayam, on 10th January, 2015

Respected Dr. Manchanda, Director General of CCRH, Dr. B. Venugopal, Clinical Supt., ANSS HMC, Dr. Alok Kumar, Joint Advisor to Govt., Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India, Dr. K.R.J. Nair, Asst. Director in-charge of CRIH, Kottayam, today’s learned faculty Dr. Ram Kumar, Dr. Mansoor Ali, Dr. Praful Barwalia, Dr. Ashok Sharma, Dr. Manoj Patel, Dr. Gopinathan, Dr. Bhuvaneswari, studious delegates from the teaching faculty of different colleges, Medical Officers, Practitioners, PG Scholars, Students, ladies and gentlemen.

At the outset, I would like to pay my respectful tributes to our Master Hahnemann and late Swamy Athuradas who took initiative to set up this CRIH here at Kurichy.

I feel equally proud and elated to be here to address you in connection with a “Seminar on Homoeopathy in Mental Health” here particularly when our Hon’ble Union Minister Shri. Shripad Naik visiting our prestigious institution. It may be noted that he is the maiden Union Minister holding an independent charge of a Ministry exclusively for AYUSH systems of medicine for the first time in India. It is undoubtedly a great fortune for the AYUSH systems.

The extent of sumptuous Plan funds being liberally enhanced into the multiples of four times does indicate that some drastic changes are going to be introduced for the speedy development of these systems of medicine. It is therefore up to the entire profession of these systems of medicine to rise above their limitations to do justice to this occasion to bring in all that is promotable in these medical disciplines.

It is highly befitting to see that such a seminar has been organized to highlight and elicit the tremendous scope of Homoeopathy in the field of Mental Health. I am highly indebted to Dr. Manchanda, Dr. K.R.J. Nair and the sincere staff of the CRIH for having been able to organize this seminar in an envious and triumphant manner within a short spell of time, for which I sincerely congratulate each of them. I also seize this occasion to congratulate the participants who are the teachers, and students of different colleges, medical officers of the Dept. of Homoeopathy, and general practitioners.

It will be a great ‘God sent’ moment for all the participants to be here to gain much from this seminar in their career as it is a unique one in the country. The faculties present here are talented and eminent personalities in the field of Mental Health. The topics dealt with here are also highly enlightening and useful to us in Mental Health.

Homoeopathy has a rich treasure of medicines for dealing with psychiatric disorders. Almost all the polychrest drugs have recorded numerous mental symptoms.

Aperusal of Allens Encyclopaedia of Materia Medica reveals that the mental symptoms are seen recorded chiefly under two headings viz. ‘emotional’and ‘Intellectual’spheres.

Again the drugs which are being used very often in the management of mental illness are possessing a large number of symptoms, say, in Stramonium with 275 symptoms.

Belladonna -270, Phosphorus 200, Nat. Mur. – 165, Hyocyamus -160, Lycopodium –

150, Ars Alb -150, Thuja – 135, Sulphur – 120, Aconite – 110, Nux. Vom-90, Veratrum

Alb -80, Lachesis – 70, Silicea – 60, Cal.carb -57, Ignatia – 45 and so on.

Kent’s Repertory has given more importance to the sphere of mind. He has used almost 95 pages to deal with the rubrics relating to mind. There are altogether 555 main rubrics with hundreds of sub rubrics in the chapter ‘Mind’. All this shows that Homoeopathy has a larger number of drugs for managing mental disorders than other systems of medicine.

Unlike other systems of medicine, Homoeopathy gives more importance to mental symptoms and their analysis in a unique way for prescribing medicines even to manage acute conditions. For prescribing Homoeopathic medicine in a holistic manner, every Homoeopath has to rely on the mental symptoms at an utmost level too.

For this, a special skill and precise knowledge are required to elicit, analyze and comprehend them in all their dimensions of behavioral changes in patients. The young Homoeopaths cannot be expected to have gone through such training in their basic medical education. This situation pre-supposes well trained teachers in the subject to cater to the needs of the students. In this perspective, the decision to participate the maximum number of teachers in the seminar is a well taken one.

The Dept. of Homoeopathy has been conducting a School Health Programme selecting a school in every district for the last many years. The learning disabilities, behaviour disorders, and habit disorders have also to be covered along with general physical ailements in this programme. Experiences have proved that there are very efficacious medicines in Homoeopathy to deal with such conditions. What it shows is that Homoeopathy has a significant role in moulding a healthy generation.

There is another praiseworthy programme, ‘Seethalayam’ going on in the Dist. Homoeo Hospitals in the State. This scheme is aimed at helping the vulnerable women folk suffering from psychic disorders arising from separation from husbands, family members etc., widows and other mentally tortured women. This programme finds out suitable Homoeo medicines for them and provides necessary counselling and legal assistance. The Medical Officers working in these programmes should also be given proper training. But we are lacking sufficient facilities to impart training and instill knowledge to the medical officers and teachers.

Though an MD programme in Psychiatry has been launched at national level, it has come no-where near managing the affairs owing to the dearth of fully arranged Psychiatric wards attached to those Homoeo Colleges.

The only mental health hospital in Homoeopathy in the country which has got necessary infrastructure according to the mental health Act is the one here where only research and treatment are done. There are no arrangements here to conduct a training programme for teachers, medical officers, practitioners, PG scholars, paramedicals who are being engaged in the mental health activities.

According to new mental health policy adopted in the State in the year 2013, more stress has been given to mental health care. What is given to these patients is Allopathic drugs only. There are drug resistant patients and those who have discontinued medication because of unaffordability and after being fed up with the drug reactions besides a host of other patients suffering like any thing. Even under such situation, no steps have been taken to include Homoeopathy which is renowned for its salient features like safe, simple, gentle, and affordable medicine. It should have been given a chance to assess and assert its efficacious results.

Homoeopathy can come in to the rescue of the alcoholics for de-addicting them with its effective medicines. If the Govt. is sincere in this regard, they can very well utilize the Homoeopathic treatment sucessfully. All these blessings of our medical science have to be brought into the knowledge of the authorities and the public. The studies going on here at present are also poised to this end.

The discussions and deliberations transpired in the seminar will be of immense impact on the mind of the Hon’ble Union Ayush Minister so as to impress him to include Homoeopathy also in the mental health care particularly in the wake of revising the National Health Policy.

In the absence of adequate facilities available for research, treatment, training and studies in mental health in Homoeopathy elsewhere in the country, this Institute demands to be upgraded as the National Institute of Mental Health in Homoeopathy.

I wish to conclude my words with a prayer to the effect that this seminar may pave way for achieving our cherished aim assuring Homoeopathy its deserved role in mental health care. With these words, let me declare open the seminar.