Dr. Shirish Phansalkar is the Consultant Homeopathic physician at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Pune. He has been treating admitted patients who tested positive for COVID-19 illness at the hospital a team of chest physician and the pulmonologist along with the support of Dr. Dhananjay Kelkar, Medical Director of Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital.
Homeopathy can it be a right choice in the treatment of something as novel as Coronavirus. Lets us find out from our Health Expert Dr. Shirish Phansalkar,Consultant Homeopathic physician at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital.
Tell Etv Sukhibhava about your work with COVID-19 patients.
Pune, being a hotspot of COVID-19 illness, Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital has 2 wards devoted to COVID care. One has asymptomatic positive patients and the other has symptomatic patients. Dr. Kelkar was of the opinion that if you wish to treat COVID-19 patients, you got to enter the wards and not prescribe from the confines of an AC chamber. Due to the age bar, I could not attend the wards. That’s when 2 of my clinical assistants volunteered to do the ward rounds. After ensuring their safety, they were allowed to enter the wards.
Homoeopathic treatment to COVID-19 patients admitted at the hospital began after the due clearances from the concerned authorities of Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital.
Once the treating Physician, the pulmonologist and the chest specialist certified that adjuvant treatment could be given to the patient, Homoeopathic treatment was started.
There were 5 asymptomatic patients among those admitted and rest was symptomatic. Of these, some were given Arsenic Alb 30 and others were given placebo. Both these did not develop symptoms.
The symptomatic COVID positive patients, who were admitted, received the standard treatment and Homeopathy. Patients requiring ventilator support were not given Homoeopathic treatment.
What were your observations in treating COVID-19 patients with Homeopathy?
Individualistic symptoms served as the base of the Homoeopathic treatment .65 cases have been taken up for study so far. There was no travel history in any of the cases. By and large the study consisted of patients from different areas of Pune and there was a large joint family with all 16 people afflicted with Covid 19. Reaction patterns to illness and expression to illness helped the selection of remedy. Upper respiratory tract infections with symptoms like dryness in throat, cough and breathlessness were prominently seen.
Patients were grouped into 3 types:
- Those with prominent acute symptoms
- When comorbidities were associated
- Strong family history of a particular type of illness.
Group 1 : Those with prominent acute symptoms – categorized as mild to moderate COVID illnesses , including those having pneumonia patches in X ray were allowed to be given Homoeopathy. These were given the indicated remedy. Statistically Ars Alb 30 led the list of remedies prescribed followed by Bryonia, Pulsatilla and other remedies.
Group 2 : when comorbidities were associated – these patients were not helped much with the acute remedy. They had to be given a Constitutional remedy. Rheumatoid arthritis, Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension were commonly observed comorbidities. In patients of Rheumatoid arthritis, muscle stiffness was the prominent presenting symptom whereas in patients with Diabetes Mellitus, weakness was out of proportion to the intensity of the illness.
Group 3 : Strong family history or Past history of any illness . These patients did not show many symptoms. Acute remedy did not help beyond 48 hours. An “intercurrent remedy” was needed to be administered to these patients at the onset of slight symptoms. They slipped into complications without any warning. Tuberculinum was one of the remedies given to those in Group 3.
Overall observations:
- 70-80 % relief was obtained within first 24 hours of administration of correct Homoeopathic remedy.
- Subjective as well as objective relief was seen.
- After starting treatment with Homoeopathy, marked change in symptom picture was observed.
How long will the study continue?
The Hospital plans to continue for a couple of months at least considering the number of cases in Pune. The patients discharged are followed up and the likely remedies they might require at further date is being noted down.
Do you feel Homoeopathic treatment has had an impact on the economics of patient care?
It is too early to state as the study is continuing and the analysis of data is yet to be done but yes, definitely it has helped tackle the patients at the primary level, thus reducing the load on tertiary care. A study of at least 100 patients is required to assertively state any finding.
