Articles of the month
Significance of Post Graduate Education in Homoeopathy

Dr. Mrs. K. S. Desarda
The Indian Minister of Health & Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad today announced a host of new initiatives being considered for AYUSH sector in the XIIth Plan subject to availability of funds. The Minister was speaking at the Inaugural Function of the 66TH World Homeopathic Congress organised in New Delhi.

Shri Azad said that more stress will be given in the XIIth Plan for Integration of AYUSH systems in health care delivery and their incorporation in National Health Programmes through co-locating such facilities with our sub-centres and primary health care centres.

Speaking about the new initiatives being considered for XIIth Plan, Shri Azad said a National Commission for Human Resource in AYUSH will be set up to undertake a comprehensive work force study and formulate action plans for inter sectoral co-ordination. It is also proposed to set up Referral hospitals in eight National Institutes to provide world class treatment facilities with National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) accreditation for secondary and tertiary level health care along with Research and Quality Control Laboratories in these Institutes to expand the quality testing facilities in the country for ASU&H products as well as promoting research and training activities at institutional level, he said.

Five Hi-Tech Quality Control Labs would be set up under the Research Councils at regional levels with National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation to expand the quality control to the highest standards, Shri Azad informed. A National Institute of Medicinal Plants is envisaged, which would provide training facilities, demonstration at site, raw materials processing and testing facilities and drugs repository. It is also proposed to have a Central Drugs Controller for AYUSH drugs to facilitate standardization of ASU products and effective enforcement of the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act with a view to ensure high quality health products to the consumers.

During the 12th Plan, the Department also proposes to set up a Homoeopathic Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited to provide facilities for manufacturing of Homoeopathic medicines to ensure quality and timely supplies to dispensaries, the Minister announced.

The Department also intends to set up an All India Institute of Homoeopathy to fulfill the emerging interest of scientists for research in homoeopathy and inculcate better inter-disciplinary understanding for promoting evidence-based use of homoeopathy, Shri Azad stated.

Homeopathy Medical Colleges in India

India has the largest homeopathic infrastructure in the world better called as a Homeopathic Hub of the world

2,46772 qualified homeopaths
UG Colleges : 180 (12371 admissions)
PG Colleges : 35 (1040 admissions)
Government clinics : 7560
Licensed pharmacies : 700
Hospitals : 400

Pratisaad: A marathi film “Homeopathy a revolution” YDG Films and Amarsinh Nikam is all set to come up with a Marathi feature film 'Pratisaad' which will feature a realistic journey of a Homeopathic Hospital in Pune for last 15 years. Staring Sandeep Kulkarni and Anand Abhayankar and many more.

We are all aware of Homeopathy; which is a method of treating disease with small amounts of remedies that, in large amounts in healthy people, produce symptoms similar to those being treated.

Homeopathy, always creating a revolution in the field of curing people in large numbers and gaining more and more popularity, it was dated back 1796 when Samuel Hahnemann, a brilliant doctor, who was behind this revolution. Here comes one more revolution on Homeopathy. A Marathi feature film, which will feature a realistic journey of a Homeopathic Hospital situated in Pune for last 15 years.

Staring Sandeep Kulkarni, Anand Abhayankar, Kishore Kadam, Nilam Shirke, Jayant Savarkar, Sunil Tawade, Siddheswar Zadbuke, Pragati Joshi, child artist Aman Atar and Aishwariya.

Homoeopathy in 2011 in India

Registered practitioners, hospitals and education

Number registered homoeopathy practitioners has gone up to 246,772 from 239,285 in 2008. In 2007 it was 217,860). Compounded annual growth rate for the period 1993-2010 is 2-5%. Homoeopathic doctors contribute approximately 31.4% of total AYUSH doctors. As far as Government Hospitals are concerned, homoeopathic hospitals contribute close to 7.5% of total number of AYUSH hospitals. In respect to number of beds, Homoeopathy constitutes 15.4%. Whereas ayurveda hospitals constitute around 75% & number of beds constitute 71.5%. Homoeopathic CGHS dispensaries are 35, more than any other AYUSH system. Homoeopathic dispensaries under national institutes and research councils are 30, more than any other AYUSH system. Gujarat (6.7%), Karnataka (8.8%), Kerala (13.3%), MP (8.3%), Maharashtra (18.8%) and West Bengal (5.0%) contribute 60.9% of the total homoeopathy hospitals by state governments in India.

It is interesting to know that India has got 2102 homoeopaths per crore population. This figure is much lower than other systems. But among the AYUSH systems, homoeopathy has got highest number of admission for under-graduation with 12371 capacity of candidates. Though the capacity is more, we all know that there are many seats unfilled every year. One can hope that the new measures taken by the department of AYUSH by sending direction to CCH to act on poor institutes will effect in this respect.

States with capacity more than 500 under-graduate candidates admission are Maharashtra 3560, MP 1755, Gujarat 1525, Karnataka 840, Bihar 810, West Bengal 693, Rajasthan 515, Tamil Nadu 500. Academic experts' concerns are not the seat capacity, but the quality of education.

Homoeopathic manufacturing units
Number of homoeopathic manufacturing units has drastically reduced to 398 from 571 in 2009, 637 in 2008 and 685 in 2007. The reason may the implementation of GMP, which is not affordable to small manufacturers. But the quality of medicines have improved. Out of 398 homoeopathic manufacturing units, 199 are GMP compliant units and 199 are non-GMP compliant units, exactly 50% each. I wonder how there are still 50% non-GMP complied units exist when the GMP is mandatory for every single homoeopathic manufacturing unit. It will encourage others too and result in poor quality of medicines. West Bengal has got highest number of homoeopathic manufacturing units 105, amounting to 26.38% of total HMU.

Expenditure on homoeopathy
Department of AYUSH has invested Rs. 678.97 crore (actual expenditure of the department) in 2009-10. The provisional actual expenditure for 2010-11 is 844.53 core. There is no differentiation between the systems in the expenditure. However, the expenditure of major institutes helps comparing the spending on homoeopathy with the counterpart institute of other systems. Government has spent 0.09 crores for CCH, whereas 0.34 crores for CCIM (Central Council for Indian Medicine for all other systems). For Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory it has spent 0.9 crores, whereas for PLIM (Pharmacopoeia Laboratory for Indian Medicines) it has spent 1.76 crores.

Expenditure for running National Institute of Homoeopathy is 20 crores, what as for National Institute of Ayurveda and National Institute of Siddha is 23 crore. In case of National Institute of Unani Medicine, it is 8.76 crore and, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga and National Institute of Naturopathy put together, it is 12.5 crore. It is obvious that NIH has utilised the fund properly. In respect to research councils, expenditure for CCRH is 29.85 crore, for CCRAS (ayurveda and siddha) is 59 crores, for CCRUM (unani medicine) is 30.95 and for CCRYN (yoga and naturopathy) is 12.5 crores. Homoeopathy has got its due share.

Exports and imports
Foreign export of AYUSH medicines in the year 2009-10 amounts to Rs. 2887.01 crore. Total import of AYUSH medicines is 346.22 crore. Compounded annual growth rate of export of total AYUSH medicines from 1995-96 to 2009-10 is 12.63%. Rs. 5.58 crores of homoeopathic medicines and Rs. 2.83 crores of biochemic medicines have been exported in 2009-10. Though the department can give more importance to homoeopathy in respect to hospitals and dispensaries, the expenditure on homoeopathic institutes show that homoeopathy is getting its due share of attention from the government.

Homoeopathic Education
Syllabus, curriculum, duration of course, prescribed text books, methodology of teaching etc are same for allopathic and homeopathic students. Instead of allopathic pharmacology homeopathic students has to study materia medica, organon of medicine, pharmacy and repertory.

Courses
BHMS Course- Five and half years duration includes one year compulsory internship
MD Homeopathy 3 years postgraduate Course in Repertory, Materia Medica, Organon of Medicine, Homeopathic Pharmacy, Practice of Medicine, Psychaitry, Paediatrics etc
A student spending
1st BHMS : 1610 hours
2nd BHMS : 1065 hours
3rd BHMS :  950 hours
4th BHMS : 1175 hours
Total : 4800 hours inside the class room

Recognised Foreign Medical qualification in India
Doctors with the following qualifications can practice in India

1. Faculty of Homoeopathy, London Diploma of the faculty of Homoeopathy D.F.Hom.

2. Faculty of Homoeopathy, London Members of the faculty of Homoeopathy M.F.Hom.

3. Faculty of Homoeopathy, London Fellow of the Faculty of Homoeopathy F.F. Hom.

Opportunities in India
Any person with recognized qualifications such as BHMS,MD(Hom), DHMS etc by Central Council of Homeopathy can practice anywhere in India. Besides Government bodies like Union Public Service Commission and various state Public Service Commission's regularly recruiting candidates and offering good salaries.

In the private sector also lot of Homeopathic Colleges and Hospitals, chained clinics, multi specialty clinics providing job opportunities.

Government Bodies
Central Council of homeopathy CCH http://cchindia.com/index.php

In 1973 the Indian Parliament passed Homeopathic central council bill and accordingly Homeopathic Central Council was established in 1974. This council is the controlling authority of the educational and practice of Homoeopathy in India.

Central Council of Research in Homeopathy- CCRH www.ccrhindia.org

There is also Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy for conducting and monitoring the research activities in Homoeopathy.

To streamline research in Homoeopathy, a need of planned and organized research was strongly felt by the Government of India. As a result, the Central Council for Research in Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy (CCRIMH) was established in 1969 to carry out researches in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani medicine, Yoga and Homoeopathy. The Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH), one of the successor organizations to the erstwhile CCRIMH was established as an autonomous organization, at New Delhi in 1978. Ever since, CCRH remains a unique organization engaged in various research studies in Homoeopathy.

Over the years, CCRH had branched into 51 subordinate Institutes and Units functioning in different parts of the country. To improve the functioning of the research centers further and to ensure quality research, the Dept. of AYUSH has decided to consolidate the centers further, by merging the smaller units, in two phases, i.e. to consolidate to 24 centers in Phase I and to 19 centers in Phase-II. In Phase -I, a number of Units have been merged with other Institutes or Units making it a total of 24 Institutes / Units at present as given below:

Central Research Institute 02
Homoeopathic Drug Research Institute 01
Regional Research Institute 07
Clinical Research Unit 10
Drug Proving Research Unit 01
Drug Standardization Unit 01
Survey of Medicinal Plants and cultivation Unit 01
Homoeopathic Treatment Center 01

Aims and Objectives
1. To formulate aims and patterns of research on scientific lines in Homoeopathy. 2. To initiate, develop, undertake and co-ordinate scientific research in fundamental and applied aspects of Homoeopathy. 3. To collaborate research studies with other institutes of excellence towards promotion of Homoeopathy. 4. To exchange information with other institutions, associations and societies interested in the objects similar to those of the Central Council and especially in observation and study of diseases. 5. To propagate research findings through monographs, journals/workshops & develop audiovisual aids for dissemination of information to the profession & public.

AYUSH
www.indianmedicine.nic.in

To provide equal status with other systems, Govt. of India had constituted separate department Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy under the Ministry of Health and Family welfare.

The Govt of India had constituted a Homeopathic pharmacopoeia committee and published eight volumes of official 'Homoeopathic pharmacopoeia of India'. Also a national level drug-testing laboratory is functioning at Ghaziabad, New Delhi.

National Institute of Homeopathy. Kolkata : www.nih.nic.in

Health & Family Welfare dept. Tamilnadu : www.tnhealth.org

Homeopathy in Delhi :www.delhihomeo.com

Rajiv Gandhi University of Health science. Karnataka : www.rguhs.ac.in

All Indian Ministries : http://www.nic.in/

Research findings of Central Council of Homeopathy : http://ccrhindia.org/researchfindings.asp


Homeopathy Industry to be Rs. 4,600cr : ASSOCHAM

Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India said : Indian homeopathy treatment market is likely to grow 30% annually and reach a size of Rs. 4,600 crore as the number of takers is growing fast within and outside the country.

Globally, the homeopathy market is estimated at Rs. 26,300 crore with France being the largest contributor, according to the study by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). Last year, the domestic homeopathy market size was about Rs. 2,758 crore.



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