Hyderabad: Along with the rest of the world, India is celebrating World Homeopathy Day on April 10 with the theme “Homeoparivar: One Health, One Family." Homeopathy, which comes under the AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, and Homeopathy) system of medicine, is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. Interestingly, a Parliamentary Committee has also suggested to the central government that it incorporate awareness of Ayush systems into school curricula to minimising knowledge barriers between Ayush and modern medicine.
World Homeopathy Day: It is celebrated on April 10 to mark the birth anniversary of the founder of Homoeopathy, a German physician, Dr. Christian Frederick Samuel Hahnemann. The day highlights the importance of the field of medicine. Homoeopathy was introduced as a scientific system of drug therapeutics by Hahnemann in 1805. World Homeopathy Day is also celebrated to understand the challenges and future strategies to develop homeopathy. The day aims to spread awareness about homeopathy as a form of medicine and work towards improving its success rate.
What is homeopathy? Homoeopathy medicines are safe to use because they rarely cause side effects. It is based on the principle of ‘like cures like’. It means that a substance in a small amount will cure the same symptoms it causes if taken in large amounts. Homoeopathy is derived from the Greek words homeo, which means similar, and pathos, which means suffering or disease. Practitioners of homoeopathy use tiny amounts of natural substances, like plants and minerals.
Homeopathy trend in India: Homeopathy is one of the popular medical systems in India. The country is one of the biggest homoeopathic drug manufacturers and traders globally. In India, homeopathy is as popular as Ayurveda, both of which fall under the purview of the AYUSH ministry.
India always embraces traditional alternative medicine alongside conventional approaches, recognizing their complementary potential in addressing healthcare needs. In 2007, the Department of Ayush launched Homeopathy for Mother and Child Care, which benefited about 9, 12, and 478 patients. The initiative was aimed at raising awareness about homeopathy’s role in maternal and child health.
Homeopathy as a cost-effective alternative: Homoeopathy presents a comprehensive approach to public health initiatives in a cost-effective manner, promoting better health outcomes beyond addressing nutritional deficiencies alone. Its distinct approach to addressing nutrition-related issues is rooted in the principle of individualization, considering each patient’s genetic and biochemical uniqueness. This personalised treatment approach extends to diet and medication selection, focusing on improving nutrient absorption and utilisation in cases of deficiency disorders.
Role of Homoeopathic Doctors: Homoeopathic doctors have played a pivotal role in conducting awareness activities and making significant contributions to the medical workforce. The increased awareness among the populace, facilitated by extensive health promotion campaigns, leads to the adoption of healthier lifestyles and hygienic practices, thereby enhancing the nation’s overall health status.
Parliamentary Committee’s Opinion: The Parliamentary Committee on Health and Family Welfare noted that, like China, the Ministry of Ayush’s efforts to establish 12,500 Health and Wellness Centers (since renamed as Arogya Mandirs) go a long way in establishing Ayush as a medicinal system with the potential to fulfill the objectives of the universal health program. Like China, the government of India should also devise ways to integrate the Ayush system with poverty alleviation initiatives to boost community engagement.
The Committee suggests incorporating awareness of Ayush systems into school curricula, a significant step towards minimizing knowledge barriers between Ayush and modern medicine.
The Committee also recommends that, given the global evidence quoted above, India pursue private insurance companies to include AYUSH treatments, such as Panchkarma and other therapies, wherever scope prevails. The Committee also recommends that the government persuade the countries to legalise the Ayurveda stream of medicines in the US and other countries. The Committee feels that this should be combined with ensuring insurance coverage of Ayush treatments and practicing them in a similar vein to promote the practice of Ayush treatments in countries like the USA, UK, etc.
Role of the National Ayush Mission: The Government of India is implementing the National AYUSH Mission (NAM) through states and UTs for the development and promotion of the AYUSH system of medicine, including homeopathy. Since the inception of the centrally sponsored scheme of NAM in 2014–15 to 2023–24, major achievements have been 137 integrated Ayush hospitals, 12500 Health health and wellness centers (AHWCs), and 13 new Ayush educational institutions. Increase in budget for NAM from 75.28 crore (in 2014–15) to Rs 1200.00 crore (in 2023–24). The number of beneficiaries availing of Ayush services through AHWCs increased from 1.50 crores in 2020–21 to 8.42 crores in 2022–23.
Challenges faced in the implementation of the National Ayush Mission: According to the Ministry of Ayush, inadequate administrative set-up of Ayush in States and UTs is a major challenge in the implementation of NAM. Other challenges include strengthening the State Program Management Unit (SPMU) and the District Program Management Unit (DPMU). Delay in the operationalisation of AHWCs.
Government initiative to tackle challenges: The Ministry of Ayush has taken measures to tackle the challenge. The Ministry of Ayush has requested the state and UT for a dedicated administrative set with an adequate workforce in the states and UTs where it is not available for effective implementation of the scheme. The Ministry has also asked state and UT governments to strengthen SPMU and DPMU as per NAM guidelines by deploying an adequate workforce.
Experts talk about the accuracy and safety of homeopathic medicine. Talking to ETV Bharat, Dr. K. S. Sethi, former advisor to homoeopathy in the Ministry of Ayush, said that homoeopathic medicine works at a dynamic level. We should have the best possible condition in our body and mind while taking homeopathic medicine.
Dr. Sethi said, “The difference between adopting allopathic and homeopathic medicine is dependent on the disease. Homoeopathy works well in preventive and promotive health. It works well in primary health care. In modern medicine, first we have to do the diagnosis, and then only the treatment can start. However, it is not the case with homeopathy. If the body has any illness, it will manifest."
He added, "The well-being may get disturbed. So, immediately, we can start homeopathic medicine, and we don’t have to wait for the diagnosis. Through this, we may prevent some life-threatening or complicated diseases before they reach extreme levels. If the patients come early, we can start the treatment early. Of course, we have to follow homeopathic treatment with advice from doctors,” said Dr. Sethi.
She said that if an individual has a headache, every time he or she takes Disprin, the headache gets cured. If someone has a migraine, vasograin can cure it immediately. However, repeatedly taking such medicine may have side effects. “In homeopathy, maybe you take for two months or three months, depending on the response, and the disease will not reoccur,” said Dr. Sethi.
Sethi said that homeopathy is more effective at the beginning of the disease. “When it goes to the structural stage, we need to give allopathic remedies,” said Dr. Sethi.
