Proposals for the Development of Homoeopathy in India

Proposals for the Development of Homoeopathy in India

Sub : Memorandum containing Proposals for developing Homoeopathy in India

It is indeed gratifying to see that the National Government headed by Hon’ble Sri. Narendra Modi has taken great interest in the development of AYUSH systems of medicine in the country as is seen avowed in the policies declared sofar. It is equally gratifying to discern Hon’ble Minister for Health, Dr. Harsh Vardhan’s enthusiasm in the development of Homoeopathy in particular.

We are enclosing detailed proposals embracing the manifold aspects in the development of Homoeopathy of which most of them can be undertaken in the remaining period of the current Five Year Plan itself.  The proposals included in the appended write-up, it is hoped, will receive due attention of the Central Government for their speedy implementation.

To
Dr. Harsh Vardhan
Hon’ble Minister for Health & Family Welfare Govt. of India, New Delhi

Proposals for the development of homoeopathy in India
Homoeopathy has very great potentials in the field of health care. If its potentials are adequately tapped, it would certainly be a great blessing to a developing country like India in caring the health of its mass with safe, simple, scientific, effective, acceptable and affordable medicine to all. To achieve optimum result in the areas of Homoeopathy, we would like to put forward, the following suggestions, which are intended for being implemented in the coming decade covered by 12th & 13th Five Year Plans in which much thrust has been declared for the development of health and education. These suggestions relate to the different spheres of Homoeopathy such as Education, Research, Health Care, Drugs, and Propaganda etc.

1. EDUCATION & TRAINING

1. Stall the movement of the Central Govt. to introduce Human Resource Development in Health through cross disciplinary learning among different systems of medicine.

The Planning Commission’s proposal contained in para 20.177 of their report on 12th Five Year Plan (Social Sectors Vol. III) to develop HRH through cross disciplinary learning among different systems of medicine is thoroughly devoid of any scientificity, practicability, sanity and even utopian. If these proposals are put into implementation, it will only denigrate the AYUSH systems of medicine doomed into suffer a sidetracking and sidelining for ever to come. The past experiences and several surveys and studies have proved this apprehension in its true perspective. Hence the Dept. of AYUSH should stall whatever initial steps taken in this regard at the earliest. As a positive step instead of developing skill of one person in all systems of medicine, it may alternately be considered to implement the integrated health care facilities through co-location of HRH in all systems of medicine.

E2. Standardization of Homoeopathic Medical Education:
As part of standardization of education, necessary Regulations were enforced as early as 1983. Despite the lapse of 30 years now, the much desired and avowed intention of bringing in standardization has yet to be reached. There are many colleges, most of them in the private sector being self-financed ones, leaving only a few under the public sector and aided ones. But a good majority of the colleges especially in the private sector woefully lack in even the minimum requirements of infrastructures including competent staff. This has resulted in the passing out of students without getting the requisite standards. Finance is the major block in complying with the minimum infrastructural facilities.

The Govts. have deprived the management of their sources of income such as donation, capitation etc. by simultaneously curtailing the size of tuition fees and ensuring Govt. quota of seats very promptly in admission. All this has rebounded to force the managements to run the institutions in a state of pathetic financial conditions. They find it difficult to give even moderate salaries and other benefits to the teachers compelling the managements to a pitiable state of not being able to get competent teachers. Again, the absence of any financial assistance from the Central Govt. to these institutions in the last two Five Year Plans, discriminating private Colleges on the one side by confining such assistance only to Govt. and aided Colleges, the private managements have completely been left without any where withal to cope-up with even their daily routine. This is the most important stumbling block standing in the way of materializing standardization of education in Homoeopathy. As this will endanger Homoeopathic education, especially when a lion’s share of the colleges is in the self-financing private sector, the problem has to be pondered over seriously on the lines as indicated below.

i.An earnest attempt should be made to sort out deserving institutions regardless of Govt. or private ones. The Central Govt. should chalk out schemes for giving financial assistance to boost up their infrastructural facilities to at least the required minimum. The colleges which are found not to be pacing up to provide the above facilities within a period of 5 years may be ordered to wind up forthwith.

ii. The Collegiate hospitals need to be developed for imparting clinical training. The Central Govt. should, therefore, make it a point to institute a Development Grant for providing /upgrading the hospital facilities. This can be considered through the existing NHM scheme since these hospitals are providing primary and secondary health care to the people at their best.

iii. Once such a state is reached, it is the onus of the management to keep these hospitals well maintained. Reckoning the valuable services being done by these hospitals in the field of primary and secondary health care to the people the State Government should rise up to set up a scheme for establishing an Annual Maintenance Grant in a recurring way. For this purpose the relative merits of such hospitals should be assessed and the deserving ones must be selected for this grant. There should not be any irrational discrimination as to these hospitals in private or public sectors in as much as all these hospitals are rendering effective clinical training to the students for making them befitting doctors. Here the consideration for a doctor as having come from private or public sector institutions is uncalled for and discriminating because all such doctors are moulded to serve the people in as immaculate away as possible.

E3. Competent Teachers:
The success of attaining standardization depends largely upon the availability of competent teachers. For this, the colleges must have a set up to attract efficient and talented faculty to their fold. The service conditions and salaries go a long way in enabling the colleges to materialize the aim. The Govt. should draw up a common salary structure to all the teachers and ensure that such salary is paid to the teachers. This has to be done in relation to the income of the management that can be tapped through the tuition fees. The tuition fees are unilaterally fixed by the State Govts and as such the fees have to be enhanced to enable the management to give necessary attractive salary to the teachers.

E4.Providing opportunities to take P.G. degree for teachers in Basic & Allied Medical Subjects
Now opportunities are open for doing P.G. studies in Homoeopathic subjects. But such opportunities are yet to be opened out for teachers who are to teach basic and allied medical subjects. As these subjects depict more or less the sameness in syllabus and books, it is desirable to give opportunities for these teachers to par-take in such P.G. programmes existing in the modern medicine. Necessary steps directed towards this end may be initiated immediately.

E5. NET for Teaching Faculty
A National Eligibility Test may be introduced to select teachers, besides the qualifications prescribed for each post as in the case of teachers of Arts and Science Colleges.

E6. Introduce ‘DHMEd.’ Course
A one year course titled “Diploma in Homoeopathic Medical Education” (DHMEd.) may also be started to train the teachers in teaching methodology and practice to optimize their competence in teaching, which should be made obligatory to all teachers. Necessary arrangements to give this training to all existing teachers in a phased manner should also be made at the earliest.

E7. Re-orientation / CME Programmes to Teachers
The teachers should be given Re-orientation /CME training from time to time to ensure all of them keep abreast with the advances in knowledge in their subject and should be linked to their promotion. They should also be made fully equipped and conversant with the clinical practice.

E8. Guidance course to PG Guides / Examiners
Even though P.G. courses have been started, necessary know – how for planning and guiding the dissertation work and its evaluation is still to be gained in a standardized and uniform manner. It is, therefore, highly desirable to make arrangements for giving a guidance course on a national basis. If a faculty is to be appointed P.G. Guide or Examiner, he should necessarily have successfully undergone such a course.

E9 .National Thesis Bank in Homoeopathy
More and more P.G. courses are added to and it would be better to establish a National Thesis Bank. All the Dissertation Works of the P.G. courses may be pooled into this bank by means of computer technology. Every University where M.D.(Hom.) or Ph.D courses in Homoeopathy are run, should have a Registry of Dissertations at University level. There should be a consolidation of these University Registries at the national level. This will definitely guard against repetition, duplication of dissertation, besides forming a source for future reference and advance studies.

E10. Admission to Homoeopathic Courses:
A national level entrance examination should be conducted for Homoeopathy alone for admission to UG and PG courses as proposed in the case of modern medicine. This test should also be devised and designed to assess the aptitude of the candidates for Homoeopathy. Steps should also be taken to avoid drop-outs after the admission is over and also measures should be taken to see that delays are avoided in filling Govt. quota seats. A cut off date for admission to both UG and PG courses should be fixed in a permanent manner at national level.

E11. Development of Text Books for Graduate & Post Graduate courses
Despite the elapse of 30 years after the enforcement of Education Regulations no attempts have been made for developing necessary text books even in basic Homoeopathic subjects of the UG and PG courses. It is the greatest lapse in the medical education in India where Homoeopathy is being taught as a basic medical education. The Govt. of India should take necessary steps in this direction by earmarking necessary funds for developing and publishing the text books for the above said courses.

E12. Uniform Course & Examination Calendar
In consonance with the fixing of cutoff date of admission to courses, a decision should also be taken to prepare a uniform course and examination calendar in all Universities. This will avoid course lagging and loss of opportunities for joining higher studies for the students.

E13. Revision of Educational Regulations
The existing educational Regulations of both UG and PG courses are required to be modified in the light of the deficiencies and defects pointed out so far. They have to be made up to-date in tune with the changing times. The UG curriculum should contain the Research Methodology also.

E14. Centers of Excellence in Education
One college should be developed as a Centre of Excellence in Homoeopathic Education in every State with the assistance of Central Govt. Such a College should be the one selected on merit without regard to either falling under private or public sector. The development of this college should be so pruned as to serve it as a model in respect of conduct of academic and clinical training, evaluation, training of teachers etc.

E15. All India Institute of Homoeopathy (AIIH)
As in the case of Ayurveda, an AIIH with international facilities for conducting studies and research, training etc. should be set up during the 12th Five Year Plan itself. Govt. of India has allotted Rs. 50 crores for establishing AIIH in the country during the current plan period. Following this, the Govt. of Kerala took up the matter with the Dept. of AYUSH, M/o. H&FW, Govt. of India to establish the above institute in the State, voluntarily offering 10 acres of land with the existing buildings with all their paraphernalia in the Govt. Homoeopathic Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. Necessary proposals in this regard with a feasibility report were submitted to the Central Govt. as early as 12th November 2013 before the Parliament Election. These proposals are pending consideration in the M/o H&FW, GOI.

The immediate provocation to forward above proposal was on the basis of the Planning Commission’s report on 12th Five Year Plan as laid down in para 20.87 of Social Sectors (Vol. III) as read under: “A single Central Sector scheme on National level Tertiary Care Institutions will fund up – gradation of existing Medical Colleges and converting Tertiary Care facilities of the Central Government across different departments into Teaching Institutions” Homoeopathy at present does not have any National level Tertiary Care Institutions to conduct advanced studies and research along with all PG courses. If such an institute is to be established in a new place afresh it may take a period of at least 15 to 20 years for developing the institute even ready to have initial functioning. It is in this context to avoid unnecessary delay in the establishment of such an institute the already developed the existing Govt. Homoeopathy Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram has been poised by the State Govt. for this purpose.

For the optimum achievement intended out of such an institute, the proximity of a series of well-equipped medical institutions with experts is an imperative necessity. This situation is well provided by the city of Thiruvananthapuram because of its juxtaposed prevalence of innumerable other medical institutions possessing the infrastructures for research and studies. And it is in the same spirit in which the Planning Commission has put forward its proposals in their report as pointed out above. What remains now is just to gain an order of sanction from the Central Govt. Immediate steps are therefore required to be taken to this direction.

E16. Constituent College and Department of Homoeopathy under Health Universities
Each Health University should establish a constituent college of its own for coordinating and co-relating the different activities including studies and research on different systems of medicine. This will serve as a model institute at University level. Necessary scheme should be formulated in the 12th Five Year Plan itself to assist the University with Central grant. All Health Universities may be required to form a Dept. of Homoeopathy under their University for looking after the affairs of academic and research activities relating to Homoeopathy.

E17. CME Programmes for Practitioners
Medical Practitioners and Para Medicals of Homoeopathy should be given CME training to update their knowledge for improving their talents. The Central Govt. has already got such programmes at present but as they are very few and far, all the practitioners do not get access to them. In such circumstances, it should be made mandatory for each and every practitioner to get through such programmes at least once in 5 years, for renewing the registration. The Central and State Govts. should make necessary amendments in their Acts and formulate schemes to implement them effectively.

E18 .Training for Detection & Management of Life Style Diseases and Cancer Homoeopathy has a precise role in detecting and dealing with life style diseases and cancer which have posed threatening and challenging health problems in the country. There are schemes formed in this matter by the Govt. for modern medicine. Homoeopathic doctors should also be covered under these schemes for getting trained. Similarly the role of Homoeopathy in affording palliative care and geriatric care is also significant. Doctors should be given training in these spheres also.

E19. Starting of Para Medical Courses in Homoeopathy
Steps should also be taken for starting Paramedical courses for Homoeopathic Pharmacists / Dispensers and Nurses. Para Medical Council may be formed by enactment of an Act in the Parliament either one for whole AYUSH Systems of medicine or a separate one for Homoeopathy alone. The proposals for constituting a Pharmacy Council of Homoeopathy have been pending for long time in the M/o. Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India.

2. RESEARCH

R1. Centers of Excellence in Research
To boost up research activities in Homoeopathy the existing CRIHs and RRIHs may be upgraded to the level of Centers of Excellence in their respective fields of research. Considering that there is no other Homoeopathic Centre in the World catering to the patients of psychiatric complaints, the lone of its kind in Kerala is CRIH, Kottayam which handles 50 inpatients of behavioral disorders. The number of patients frequenting the Hospital with their encouraging response shows that it is a very promising one capable of developing into a National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Homoeopathy. If facilities are provided for further studies and development, it is certain that this Institute will grow into its full stature befitting to be deemed as an International Centre for Homoeopathy in Psychiatric Disorders. This may be included in 12th Five Year Plan.

R2. More Research Centers
As the most ideal place for conducting research activities in Homoeopathy is the teaching Institutions, an attempt should be made to identify the suitable institutions with adequate infrastructure and staff in different States for this purpose. By giving guidance and necessary financial assistance, these institutions can be made to attract youngsters for undertaking research work. This will also reduce the establishment cost for research activities.

R3 .Developing a Researcher Cadre by utilizing the services of General Practitioners
A serious attempt should be made to evolve a ‘Researcher Cadre’ by involving General Practitioners in both private and public sectors for clinical oriented research in Homoeopathy. Interested and talented practitioners with necessary aptitude to research may be drafted into the National Cadre of Researchers in Homoeopathy and they may be given necessary guidance/directions, with formats etc for doing their particular projects which they come across in their clinical practice. They should send documents with details of evidence of their successful cases treated to the CCRH and the CCRH in turn compile and consolidate the findings of such cases for the benefit of the profession. By making use of the computer technology they should derive the maximum possible benefit from this endeavor. These records can be put into use for future studies also. Better contributors to this endeavor will be awarded with suitable titles / incentives.

R4. Literary Research
Many Homoeopathic books, in course of time, need updating and revision. The possibility for conducting literary research and developing and revising the books in Homoeopathy may be explored at the University level. For this, necessary financial provisions may be made by the Central Government.

3. HEALTH CARE

H1. Mainstreaming of Homoeopathy
It has already been recognized that Homoeopathy is an effective, viable alternative medicine in the World. In India also it has got great acceptability and recognition as a potent medical system capable of vying with other systems of medicine in both primary and secondary health care. It is a fact that many States in India have not been able to utilize Homoeopathy in its optimum level. But there are a few States like Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha which have already proved the efficacy of Homoeopathy as a very safe dependable system of medicine in primary health care. If attempts are made to tone up the trendy changes, Homoeopathy can very well compete with other contemporary systems of medicine in envious and miraculous fashion. According to a decision taken by the Central Govt. a 3rd doctor of every PHC should be culled from the AYUSH systems of medicine. This has not been implemented by all the States and even the States which implemented it do not get the deserving share for Homoeopathy. Considering the higher popularity and the relative lesser cost of medicine, Homoeopathy should be given at least one dispensary in every Grama Panchayat or one doctor in every PHC.

Even though one of the main objectives of the NRHM is mainstreaming of AYUSH systems of medicine, in many of the States Homoeopathy has been side-tracked without giving its due share. Steps should therefore be initiated to rectify the discriminating deficiency meted out to Homoeopathy in the scheme. It is also alleged that Homoeopathic doctors are not getting proper assistance and support for doing their work efficiently in NRHM dispensaries. The Central Govt. has declared parity in the consolidated pay of doctors of all systems of medicine. But this parity is not kept up in many States in the case of Homoeopathic doctors. This is a discrimination which should be done away forthwith The NRHM scheme being established on a temporary style needs to be made permanent by the State Govts. The Central Govt. should encourage and support the State Govts. wherever it is necessary for making it permanent. Otherwise the purpose intended by the Central Scheme cannot be achieved in full.

H2. Integrating Homoeopathy in National Health Schemes
Homoeopathy has proved its potentials in many of the diseases / areas of health care under the existing National Health Schemes. Efforts should be made to integrate Homoeopathy too in all such schemes. Homoeopathy has not been introduced in Military and Railway Medical Services. But it has been given in E.S.I. Medical Service in a few States only. As it is too insufficient, it should be given invariably in all ESI medical services and this may be introduced in both Military and Railway Medical Services also.

H3. Co-location of all Systems of Medicine
The Central Govt. has already adopted in its National Health Policy to co-locate all systems of medicine under one roof or in a center. It was introduced being convinced of the benefits of all systems to be distributed to the people according to their choice and need. Again this will facilitate the benefits of integration of medicine to the needy and it will pave way for healthy understanding among the practitioners of different systems of medicine. Though the Central Govt. has introduced certain schemes in its Five Year Plans none of the Schemes have been able to provide the expected result in this sphere so far. In the circumstances the Govt. should take all steps to co-locate all approved systems of medicine in all CHCs, Taluk, District and General Hospitals and monitor their functioning closely to reap the optimum result.

H4. Insurance Coverage
The Central and State Govts. have introduced many schemes of Insurance converges for the treatment taken in Allopathy and Indian Systems of Medicine leaving Homoeopathy aside. This is a sad state of affairs as no other system of medicine is so affordable, safe and simple to the people than Homoeopathy. There are facilities for inpatient treatment in Homoeopathy also, requiring the provision of modern facilities of diagnostic investigations, accessory management etc. It urgently pre-supposes the necessity of including Homoeopathy also in all the Health Insurance Schemes. It is quite worthy to note here that many of the developed countries have included Homoeopathy also in their Health Insurance Schemes.

H5. School Health Programme
Homoeopathy has proved its efficacy in reducing the morbidity in many of the disease conditions through rectifying constitutional dyscresia. This will avoid the incidence of many diseases in children by removing the susceptibility or proneness to diseases. Again it will guard against many behavioral disorders and learning disabilities in school children. If these disorders are detected early and simple and easily acceptable medicine of Homoeopathy administered they can be saved from lifelong sufferings with prolonged medication. To evolve such a healthy generation, Homoeopathy should be given a prominent place in the School Health Prorammes. Necessary steps should be taken to entrust the children with Homoeopathy from the level of Anganvadi to Upper Primary School.

H6. Epidemic Control
Homoeopathy has much sway in controlling epidemics. It began its introduction in India and in several other parts of the country by proving its efficacy in controlling epidemic like Cholera. It has successfully contained the recurrent outbreaks of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Andhra Pradesh. Epidemics like JE, Chickengunia, Dengue fever, Chickenpox, Typhoid, Cholera, Influenza, HINI fever etc. broke out in Kerala and many other States in the recent past have also been successfully checked. As Kerala is suitable for having a National Epidemic Control Cell in Homoeopathy, the steps may be taken to establish such a cell in the Central Research Institute of Homoeopathy, Kottayam where all facilities and environmental amenities are rolled together in one entity. It can be developed in the current Five Year Plan itself, if necessary steps are taken to this end.

H7. Family Physician
A new concept under the caption “Family Medicine and Family Physician” has emerged in the health care sphere. It is to do away with unnecessary over specialization and to cut short the extravagant expenditure on this score. Homoeopathy has a very good relevance in this respect as it is conceived on the basis of family background with due regard to life space investigation. Thus it will be possible to detect the constitutional dyscresia which is responsible for incidence of many diseases. It will, therefore, be possible for managing and preventing many diseases from the very beginning with simple Homoeopathic medication. It is, therefore, un-doubtable that Homoeopathy is best suited to be adopted as a Family Medicine for all. So the UG curriculum of Homoeopathic studies should contain Family Medicine as a subject for detailed study. Accordingly, an effort should be made to popularize this aspect and to encourage people to adopt Homoeopathic graduates as Family Physicians.

4. DRUGS

D1. Amendment in Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940
The Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940 gives necessary provisions for Modern Medicine and Indian Systems of Medicine viz  Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani. They have been included in separate chapters with specifications like constitution of Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), The Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC), the Central Drugs Laboratory etc. But Homoeopathy has not found a deserving place and provision in this Act even though Homoeopathy is one of the approved systems of medicine. Homoeopathy has been featured only in the Drug & Cosmetics Rules 1945. Because of this Homoeopathy has no DTAB or DCC etc. Instead of this Homoeopathy has been brought under a Sub Committee of the DTAB of the Modern Medicine. There are 659 licensed units for manufacturing Homoeopathic medicines, out of which about 10 are major companies. The Department of AYUSH has already notified the Good Manufacturing Practices which is of high standard for Homoeopathic medicines. The World Health Organization has published “Safety issues in the preparation of Homeopathic medicines” which may set standards for uniformity in quality of the medicine. In the light of the above facts separate provisions may be incorporated for Homoeopathy with the constitution of separate DTAB & DCC etc. Accordingly necessary amendments should be made in the above Act and Rules on the pattern of ISM.

D2. Homoeopathy Pharmaceuticals Corporation of India
There are several Pharmacies in India manufacturing Homoeopathic medicine and its sundries in small and large scales. Of this there are only two Pharmacies owned by State Government. Even though GMP and GLP have been introduced recently and official Pharmacopoea have been enforced, there is difficulty in getting sufficient quantity of all medicines in different potencies with good quality. This position may be attributed to the fact that major manufacturing units are only under private sector. It is therefore inevitable that Govt. of India should establish a “Homoeopathic Pharmaceutical Corporation of India” as in the case of Ayurveda and Modern Medicine to manufacture standard medicines and sundries and ensure proper distribution to all practitioners at a reasonable price. This has already been included in the current Five Year Plan. But even after the elapse of half of its period, the matter is still remain to be addressed to. It should be expedited to materialize in the current Five Year Plan itself.

D3. Establishment of Homoeopathic Drug Control Wing in all States
At present, there is no separate wing for Homoeopathic drug control either in the Centre or in the States. Now it is done by Allopathic men in all the States under the Drug Controller. The existing  system is found to be ineffective creating a lot of problems. As there are enough Post Graduates in Homoeopathic Pharmacy, a separate Homoeopathic wing can be established by utilizing their services in the Drug Controller Office in every State.

D4 .Homoeopathic Drug Testing Labs (DTL)
In order to ensure the quality of Homoeopathic drugs, well equipped Drug Testing Labs at least one in every State or one in every Regional zone of the country giving easy access to get the medicines tested should be established. The existing one is at Ghaziabad (UP) which has problems of easy access and over-burdened work. There was a Central Scheme in the 10th Five Year Plan to establish DTL in States. But no DTL could be opened in Homoeopathy under that scheme. Therefore zonal level DTLs should necessarily be established for Homoeopathy in the 12th Five Year Plan itself. Necessary Central Scheme for the purpose should be formulated at once and the State Governments should be pressurized to comply with the requirement.

D5 .Reduction / Exemptions of Excise Duty for Homoeopathic Medicines and Sundries :
The cost of Homoeopathic medicines and sundries has been rising up on account of the medicine vehicles – alcohol, sugar of milk, cane sugar for pills etc. required to be used for preparing and dispensing medicines. By the introduction of smaller packings such as 100 ml replacing pound packing, there was a further shoot-up in the prices. Homoeopathic medicines which are known to be the medicines of common man have ceased to be so and have become unaffordable to the poor people. Govt. should therefore take cognizance of the situation and take action either to reduce or exempt tax / excise duty for these medicines and sundries.

5. PROPAGANDA

P1. Awareness Programmes
The extent of strength and range of Homoeopathic medicine in health care have not been given to be properly understood by the common people. The other two systems of medicines could gain such an understanding in their minds because of their long incumbency and even patronization by the Government. With regard to Indian Systems of Medicine, people of India have been ready to accept them as part of their culture, tradition and civilization. None of these aspects were there to bless Homoeopathy which is comparatively a recent system of medicine originated and nurtured in foreign countries. This necessitates continuous and energetic proganda to bring the salient features with its strength and range of homoeopathy in health care in the minds of the people. A separate movement should be launched to bring home the above factors by employing various media and conducting awareness programmes with IEC materials in large scale.

P2. National Informatics Centre on Homoeopathy
There are ever so many details of information enlightening Homoeopathy in its different aspects and developments throughout the nook and corner of the world. They are scattered all over and they have to be collected and codified in a systematic manner. This has to be regularly updated with passage of time in order to make it keeping abreast of times. It is highly desirable to have such a set up in India which is known to be the “World Super Power in Homoeopathy”. It can be ideally set up under the AYUSH Department of the M/o. Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India. A Web Portal should also be developed for this purpose.

6. MISCELLANEOUS

M1. Strength and range of Homoeopathy in Health Care
Homoeopathy has great strength and range in serving humanity spread over varying areas of health care. These areas may be identified to assess the relative range of Homoeopathy in preference over other systems of medicine. There are certain areas where Homoeopathy can out-do other systems of medicines. If an attempt is deliberately made to identify such areas, by making people and other medical professionals aware of them, Homoeopathy can be put into its maximum utility at its optimal level. The experience derived from the initiative taken by the Central Govt. in the case of National Campaign on Mother and Child Health Care is a proven instance in this regard. Steps directed towards this end if taken will definitely prove that Homoeopathy has better range and strength in many such similar other areas of health care. So it is high time an Expert Committee was formed to identify the strength and range of Homoeopathy for the benefit of humanity.

M2. Separate Directorate of Homoeopathy in all the States
To ensure the proper and timely development of Homoeopathy, each State should have its own separate Homoeopathic Directorate under the Department of Health. This has been a long pending demand remaining to be got fulfilled even now excepting in the case of a few States.We would, therefore, urge the Central Govt. to give necessary directions to the State Govts. to set up the Directorate of Homoeopathy without any loss of time and the Central Govt. should extend all necessary support for the purpose.

M3. World Homoeopathy Day
It is highly pertinent and idealistic to reckon 10th April of every year which is the birthday of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of Homoeopathy, observing it as World Homoeopathy Day, to pay homage to the versatile genius whose contributions serve as a sustaining solace to the suffering humanity. This would also facilitate propagating the importance and relevance of Homoeopathy in the health care needs of the common mass.

M4. Instituting Awards in Homoeopathy
Attractive State and National Awards may be instituted to be bestowed every year on Homoeopathy Day to the best physician, teacher, researcher, contributor in the field of Homoeopathy as is being done in Allopathy and Ayurveda. This may serve as a mark of honor to Homoeopaths to render good service in their profession.

M5. Setting up a Central Advisory Committee:
In view of the above situation, it is highly proper and expedient to set up a Central Advisory Committee to formulate schemes and programmes aimed at developing Homoeopathy in its various spheres during the coming years.

M6. A Vision Document on Homoeopathy in India by 2025
India is fast emerging to shine as a fully developed country by 2025 by which time the impending 12th & 13th Five Year Plans would be over. It is expected that India would have definitely shown its economic status at par with other developed nations. It is in these Five Year Plans that much emphasis would have been given for Health and Education as is declared by the Central Govt. All other systems of medicine have already paced up with this trend of development. Homoeopathy, which is known to have thrived and prospered in India, has yet to pick up its paces with other systems of medicines in these Five Year Plans. It is now more than time to prepare a Vision Document by 2025 kaleidoscope the expected all-round progress and growth to be achieved by Homoeopathy in India by 2025. Along with the preparation of a Vision Document with necessary proposals / suggestions at National level, State level Vision Documents should also be prepared separately considering the relative requirements of each State.

Prepared by Dr Ravi M. Nair
Chief Patron, Homoeopathy – A Decade Movement (2012-2022)
Kerala State Action Council.
www.homoeopathydecademovementinkerala.net