Prevalence of homoeopathy use in different states of India and placement opportunities for Homoeopathic graduates-a descriptive analytical study

Dr Thafseera liyakath

Homoeopathy is becoming increasingly popular in India, and the Homeopathic market in the country is poised to grow 20-25% annually.

ABSTRACT
Background: Based on a pluralistic approach to health care, India offers a range of medical treatment modalities to its population. In that context, the government of India aims at providing its people with wider access to homeopathy. This article provides insight into the infrastructural support put in place by the government to meet that aim. The present study were to analyze the growth and development of homeopathy in India, to establish the degree of acceptance of homeopathy by different socioeconomic groups; and to establish the degree of satisfaction with homeopathic treatment of different socioeconomic groups. There is lack of studies assessing the preference of Indian patients for integration of homeopathy into standard therapy settings. This dissertation reveals that 6.14% of total Ayush hospitals and 28% of total Ayush dispensaries, 40.22% of total Ayush doctors, 37.8% of total Ayush wellness centres belong to homoeopathy. According to latest Ministry of Ayush’s report (2014-24), 31.2% of Ayush UG colleges, 30.3% of total Ayush PG colleges, also 31.8% of Ayush UG seats, 26.5% of total Ayush PG seats are under Homoeopathic department. Budget 2024, in which the budget for the Ayush Sector is increased by a total of INR 64.99 crores, NCH has seen an increase in the allocation, this year it got INR 20 crore as compared to last year’s allocation of INR 12.67 crore, CCRH got INR 144.00 crore as against INR 145.00 crore last year.

Number of Ayush beneficiaries in government hospitals and dispensaries has risen from 2.5 Crores (FY 2017-18) to 5.4 Crores (FY 2021-22). Around 46% of rural and 53% of urban individuals used Ayush for prevention or treatment of ailments in the past 365 days as per survey on Ayush(July 2022 to June 2033). 95% of the population who used Homoeopathy have better satisfaction level. The most important reason cited for preference of Homeopathy was lack of side effects of medicine, slow progress was the main reason for not preferring the indigenous systems. Each year a small but significant percentage of these general populations use homeopathy.

Homoeopathy is becoming increasingly popular in India, and the Homeopathic market in the country is poised to grow 20-25% annually. These figures highlight the enormous scope of Homeopathy as a career option. After completing BHMS, the next big question is whether to choose a career option to further the education qualification or to pursue a job. This report provides a well-curated list of top courses that BHMS aspirants can choose to seek career advancement.

Graduates might also pursue further education to enhance their knowledge and career prospects like MD in homoeopathy, MSc courses, Masters, PG diploma / Diploma courses, fellowships, and many other certificate courses. The Areas of employment are like Government or Private dispensaries and hospitals, Nursing Homes/ Health departments, Pharmaceutical Companies, NHM, Homoeopathic specialty centers, Drug manufacturing units and control organizations, private or chain clinics, Research Institutes, Medical Colleges Consultancy’s, Training Institutes, Insurance Companies, Railway departments etc. and can work as Physician, Clinical researcher, Medical Officer, Lecturer, Health consultant, Pharmaceutical consultant, Hospital Manager/ Administrator, Public Health specialist/ officer, Medical analyst, entrepreneur, Epidemiologist, Drug controller and so on.

This dissertation also mentions about various major institutions (government/ private) that provide education as well as job placements.

Rationale of the study
India is a country of wide diversity in terms of physiography, climate, language, religion and available methods or systems of treatment. India also has a rich culture and heritage’s with ancient beliefs and knowledge; a large number of people use traditional methods of healing. Homeopathy’s roots emerge from the findings, teachings, and writings of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), German physician which developed more than 200years ago.

The economy of the country is growing and living standards of the people are improving. With the fast-economic development and improvement in quality of living, a progressive shift in the demographic pattern of the population is emerging, resulting in the raise of special groups of patients with long term diseases such as Diabetes mellitus, Cancer, HIV etc. Industrialization, economic liberalization, invasion of international mass media, expansion of information & communication technology etc. are altering the health style of the community (33). As per the Census of India, 2011, the population in India is documented to be of 1.21 billion, which makes it the second most populous country of the world (25). Based on a pluralistic approach to health care, India offers a range of medical treatment modalities to its population. Holistic health is considered as a unified approach of addressing the concerns of the public on the four cardinal components of health namely, preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative aspects. In that context, the government of India aims at providing its people with wider access to homeopathy.

At present, in India, homeopathy is the third most popular method of medical treatment after allopathy and Ayurveda. There are over 200,000 registered homeopathic doctors currently, with approximately 12,000 more being added every year. The Govt spending on health care as a percentage of GDP is lower on healthcare (24). However, there were efforts to spend 2 to 2.5% by the end of 12th plan. The current level of functioning of most of public hospitals is not up to the expectation especially in relation to availability and quality. Nearly 80% of hospitalized cases are treated by private institutions. Private institutions are likely to be the major beneficiary of growing health market. There is progressive increase in investment in the health sector in the recent years in comparison of the earlier budget support.

An honest effort is needed to explore whether an efficient effective affordable health care technology could be designed within the present framework. The concern of the public is to have a safe, economically affordable healthcare which could be easily accessible. The concern of the government is to increase the cost of Medicare. When we analyse the simple facts in medicine, we can see that every medical discipline has something to offer in healthcare. In this case the best objective on medical education and research should be to harness these strengths to enhance its public acceptability. It is also a fact that no system is capable to tackle all the health concerns of the society, where the best option is to encourage different systems to grow on its own strength. Experience shows that several diseases are self-limiting for which no medication is needed. The best option, therefore is to provide health education the public. This will give the public a choice to avail a comprehensive health care option. It would be better to try the benefit of different system as adjuvant, or adjunct with other systems of medicine for efficient disease management. This shall also enhance the medical research in those areas.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES

1. Prevalence of homoeopathy use in different states of India. The objectives of this study were to examine knowledge, attitudes, and practice of homoeopathy and to evaluate preference towards integration into standard mainstream healthcare.

2. Placement opportunities for homeopathic graduates. This comprehensive guide aims to shed light on the job prospects for BHMS graduates emphasizing the required skills, potential career trajectories, and average salaries.

Homeopathy is an excellent option for medical students looking to enter the field of holistic medicine. A World Health Organization report states that this complementary medical system is the second largest globally (26) and is legally practiced in over 84 countries, such as India, the UK, the US, France, Germany, and China. Among these nations, India leads in the number of people, with 100 million people relying on Homeopathy for treatment, as per a Homeopathy Research Institute report.  This complementary medical system is becoming increasingly popular in India, and the Homeopathic market in the country is poised to grow 20-25% annually. These figures highlight the enormous scope of Homeopathy as a career option. Therefore, aspirants willing to study medicine can undoubtedly choose this alternative medical system and build a successful career similar to the conventional system of medicine like Allopathy and Ayurveda.

MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY

Methodology

1. A literature review of recent surveys and articles identified via databases searches till 2022. All estimates were in the context of a surveys which also reported prevalence of alternative medicinal use. Data thus gathered were analyzed for understanding the trends for homeopathy in different states of India.
2. Data searching and visiting company websites, PSC websites of different states, UPSC official websites, such related websites.
3. Secondary data are collected via electronic media.

Study Type : Descriptive analysis.

Study Design : Various websites, journals, articles, research proposals, statistics obtained by electronic media are collected, analyzed, studied and presented in a comprehensive way.

Selected Criteria
Official sites, authentic websites, journals, research proposals, articles are collected. Extensive attempts were made to identify and access all data sources that could contribute to understanding the situation of homeopathy use in different states of India. These efforts included analysis of secondary data about government wellness centres, as also a case study of one such centre. Anything sensed flawed are rejected

Exclusion criteria: : Studies were excluded if data were not based on representative samples of the general population

Results
India, homeopathy is well represented in public health, being a close second among the AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) services.  According to a recent survey conducted by Dabur research organization, the market size of homeopathic industry in India is estimated to be of Rs 600 crores which holds 14% share in total Indian system of medicine and Homeopathy. According to Annual statistical publication of the Ministry of Ayush 2019,

• 14% of total Ayush hospitals and 28% of total Ayush dispensaries involve homeopathy.
• 22% of total Ayush doctors are Homeopathy doctors
• 8% of total Ayush wellness centres belong to homoeopathy

According to latest Ministry of Ayush’s report (2014-24), 31.2% of Ayush UG colleges, 30.3% of total Ayush PG colleges, also 31.8% of Ayush UG seats, 26.5% of total Ayush PG seats are under Homoeopathic department.  Budget 2024, in which the budget for the Ayush Sector is increased by a total of INR 64.99 crores, National Council for Homoeopathy has seen an increase in the allocation, this year it got INR 20 crore as compared to last year’s allocation of INR 12.67 crore, Central Council for Research in Homeopathy llgot INR 144.00 crore as against INR 145.00 crore last year.

Number of Ayush beneficiaries in government hospitals and dispensaries has risen from 2.5 Crores (FY 2017-18) to 5.4 Crores (FY 2021-22). Around 46% of rural and 53% of urban individuals used Ayush for prevention or treatment of ailments in the past 365 days as per survey on Ayush(July 2022 to June 2033). On a Clinical data collection study carried on 2023 published by thieme, higher proportion of the patients overall was female. Musculoskeletal, dermatological and respiratory complaints were the most frequently reported. Thus, Homeopathy is prescribed in CCRH outpatient clinics for a wide range of ailments in people across India, with at least some clinical improvement noted in a high proportion of those patients. The large-scale systematic data collection in these clinics has provided clear insights into the use and clinical value of homeopathy in India, with the potential to build a substantive nationwide data inventory over time.

• 95% of the population who used Homoeopathy have better satisfaction level.
• The most important reason cited by the respondents for preference of Homeopathy was lack of side effects of medicines.
• Slow progress was the main reason for not preferring the indigenous systems.
• Each year a small but significant percentage of these general populations use homeopathy.

After Covid 19 in 2020 by CCRH, New Delhi clearly showcased that Homeopathy can be used both therapeutically and /or as prophylactic with success using approaches like Genus epidemicus, nosodes etc. Its greatest successes have been recorded in the prevention & treatment of flu like illnesses.

Graduates of the BHMS programme have a variety of options. Graduates of the BHMS programme can pursue careers in a variety of fields. Graduates might also pursue further education to enhance their knowledge and career prospects.

• MD in homoeopathy: Materia Medica, Homoeopathy Repertory, Organon of Medicine, Psychiatry, Pharmacy, Paediatrics, Practice of Medicine, Endocrinology.
• MSc courses: in Human Genome, Genetics, Food Science, Epidemiology, Medical Anatomy ,Medical Biochemistry , Applied Psychology, Clinical Research , Genetics/ microbiology ,Health Science and Yoga therapy.
• Masters in Public Health, Hospital Administration, MBA in Healthcare Management, Hospital Management, Pharmaceutical Management.
• PG diploma in Hospital and Health Management, Social and Preventive Healthcare, Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery, Preventive and Promotive Healthcare, Health Science Research, Pharmaceutical Management, Diabetes Mellitus, Adolescent Pediatrics, Child Adolescent and Family Counseling, Developmental Neurology, Health Science Research, Educational Planning, Management and Administration, Health and Hospital Administration.
• Diploma courses in Food and Nutrition, Medical Trichology, electro- homoeopathy.
• Fellowship programs by MUHS, Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University and many health-related courses in many major institutions

The aspirant has to pass the competition exams carried out by SSC, UPSC etc. to get a Central government job, state level competitive exams like PSC to get employed in various concerned departments of state government, exams conducted by CCRH for research recruiters, can also apply for UPSC civil service exams.  Graduates can also apply for exams like Institute of Banking Personnel Selection Probationary Officer IBPS PO, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), The Reserve Bank of India RBI, Union Public Service Commission UPSC Railway Recruitment Board RRB. Many foreign countries find Indian graduates with good talent and dedication towards the profession like UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, USA, UK, Australia.

CONCLUSION
Homeopathy services, wherever available, are being used fully and thus sharing the patient load in the government-run wellness centres. There is the potential for more homeopathic practitioners to contribute importantly to health care delivery in India. The strength of the AYUSH system lies in promotive, preventive & rehabilitative health care, diseases and health conditions relating to women and children, mental health, stress management, problems relating to older person, non-communicable diseases etc. Earlier studies revealed high level of patient satisfaction and better outcomes from availing integrated services. So well-planned strategic initiatives should be undertaken for further establishment of integrated health care setups and development of appropriate integrated treatment models in the Indian perspective.

Opportunities also exist in government organizations and public health sectors, where BHMS graduates can make a significant impact in promoting holistic healthcare practices.  Also offers enough job opportunities outside the country also. Higher educational qualifications in the field increase the proximity to earn a better job abroad. Experience in the area will also help one to obtain a lucrative career abroad. The salary and other additional perks offered to those working abroad are much higher when compared to their Indian counterparts. Online homoeopathy connectivity worldwide is more than in 100+ countries. New Generation doctors realized that it is not possible to survive with the limited number of patients from our local area.  We need to come up with innovative and newer ways of reaching out to patients directly. The telemedicine market in India is 7000 Cr in 2021, according to experts more than 5 times the growth in 2025 will be 40,000 Cr. Global Telemedicine market is 3 lac cr, expecting 10 times growth by 2027.

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Dr. Thafseera Liyakath
Intern Doctor, Govt Homoeopathic Medical College Calicut, Kerala
UGO Dr Mansoor Ali HOD HR&C Department
Email ID: thafseeraliyakathdr@gmail.com
Contact: +918086659453

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