New Delhi: People often panic while dealing with chronic ailments and bizarre remedies were bandied about during the Covid-19 surge. This prompted Dr Mukesh Batra, whose name is synonymous with modern homeopathy in India and abroad, to write "Homeopathy - Simple Remedies for All Ages" (Popular Prakashan), a definitive book "to nip the problem in the bud".
He also feels that more needs to be done to promote the genre "especially since the organised homeopathy market in India is growing by 20 per cent every year, much faster than the global figure, and the strong acceptance and popularity of homeopathy medicines are propelling the trajectory of this medical science". "As a professional homeopath, I have often seen people panic while dealing with acute to chronic ailments, especially during the surge of Covid-19. Our WhatsApp messages were flooded with the most bizarre remedies.
So to address this, I wrote this book. With its help, people will be able to nip the problem in the bud as homeopathy remedies are safe and easy to administer at home," Batra told IANS in an interview. For instance, "as Arsenic Alb 30 was used to build immunity against Covid, Variolinum 30 C 5 pills twice a day will help to build immunity against monkeypox as it is helpful in treating headaches and high fever", he said.
Structured according to the various phases of life and dealing in depth with various diseases, the book offers remedies that are gentler, safer and more in tune with human nature for everything from the common cold, asthma, eye diseases, hypertension, allergies, digestive issues, hair loss, skin care, obesity, anxiety, depression, arthritis, diabetes, and chronic aches and pains, to name just a few. Batra also warned against any complacency as the pandemic was far from being contained, added to which were the growing number of monkeypox cases. In this context, he suggested a four-point regime to boost immunity:
Sleep well: your body goes into a state of rest and repairs itself while you are sleeping. So, ensure eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Eating well: nutritious, well-balanced meals are the key to a healthy immune system. Eat home-cooked meals as far as possible. Move well: exercise at least five times a week. Walking for 30 minutes is good exercise. Think well: negative thoughts lead to low immunity, think positively.
Does he feel enough is being done to promote homeopathy in a world where increasing numbers of people are looking at alternative remedies to allopathy? The government is promoting AYUSH, but the question remains: Is homeopathy getting its due in this clutter, and what more needs to be done? "Well, to say that not much is being done could be true but step-by-step, we're moving in the right direction. Speaking of which, I would like to shed some light on the recent progress we've made in the homeopathy market.
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"Homeopathy was once called an alternative medicine but is now declared a complementary medicine. We have successfully operated this complementary mode of treatment in our clinic-in-clinic model at the Clover Dental Clinic (Dubai), KIIMS (Bahrain), and now in a famous fertility clinic in Greece," Batra pointed out. In India alone, he said, over 10 crore people depend on homeopathy for health issues.
India has over two lakh registered homeopaths and around 20,000 more are being added every year. Besides, there are 185 homeopathic colleges, which offer 33 PG courses. Amid the government's increased focus on promoting alternative medicines, the Union budget for 2022-23 has allocated Rs 3,050 crore to the Ministry of AYUSH, a slight increase of 2.69 percent from the 2021-22 budget.
"However, there's more that needs to be done," Batra maintained. "The quality of education needs to improve: With just 83,000-odd MBBS seats available across the country, our medical aspirants have no other choice but to seek education outside of the country. Though we certainly need more conventional medical colleges, one of the ways to address the lack of seats available is to opt for alternative medical education, for example, education in homeopathy," he said.
"The cost of education needs to improve. Many students who want to practice medicine fail to do so due to the cost of education. The cost of a college seat is Rs 2 to Rs 25 lakh for one student. This compels the parents to mortgage their land or their gold to pay the fees. The students having witnessed their parent's hardships are eager to recover their cost of education as soon as they start their careers and hence at times only look at the bottom line," Batra said.
What next? What's his next book going to be on? "The Covid pandemic has been an unprecedented and difficult period for all of us. In every home and within one's friend circle there has been a loss of life. Losing a loved one has given us grief and we've all had to deal with a sense of loss. Research states that during Covid cases of anxiety and depression increased by 24 per cent.
Among the many symptoms of long Covid are anxiety, fears, and depression. "My new book, ‘Feel Good, Heal Good with Homeopathy', deals with these problems and how to cope with them with homeopathic treatment. It is meant to give hope, direction, and treatment to people suffering from anxiety, phobias, and depression. It is a self-help book and I am sure that it will be of use to the many sufferers of emotional and mental problems," Batra concluded. (IANS)
