Homeopathy: Development and Status

HISTORICAL EVOLUTION IN INDIA

Homeopathy entered India in 1839 when Dr. John Martin Honigberger was called to treat Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the ruler of Punjab, for paralysis of vocal cords and oedema. The Maharaja was relieved of his complaints and in return received valuable rewards and later on was made officer-in-charge of a hospital. Dr. Honigberger later on went to Calcutta and started practice there. This royal patronage helped the system to have its roots in India. A large number of missionaries, amateurs in Indian civil and military service personals practiced Homoeopathy extensively and spread this system mostly in Bengal and South India.

RECOGNITION BY THE GOVERNMENT

The Government of India soon after Independence did not lost time to develop Homeopathic System of Medicine. The setting up of Homeopathic Enquiry Committee in 1948, the Committee by Planning Commission in 1951 and the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Committee in 1962 testify to this. At the instance of the recommendation of these Committees, the Government of India have accepted Homeopathy as one of the national System of Medicine and started releasing funds for its development, during the Second five-year Plan. Some of the States also made their own contribution to Homeopathic Education, the employment of Homoeopathic practitioners in health services and regulating the practice by enacting States Acts & Rules, etc.

NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY & HOMEOPATHY

The National Health Policy as passed by the Indian Parliament assigns to the Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy an important role in the delivery of primary health care and envisages its integration in the over all health care delivery system, specially in the preventive and promotive aspects of health care in the context of the national target of achieving "Health for all by 2000 AD"

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

Homeopathy continued to spread and by the beginning of 20th century most of the important cities in India had Homoeopathic dispensaries. The popularity of the system led to a mushroom growth of quacks practicing Homoeopathy. Seeing this deplorable state of affairs, efforts were made by the Government. It took several steps and in 1948, a Homoeopathic Enquiry Committee was set up to evolve a suitable arrangement to regulate teaching and practice of Homoeopathy. A Homoeopathic Advisory Committee was appointed in 1952 by the Govt. of India and the recommendations of these committees led to passing of a Central Act in 1973 for recognition of this system of medicine. Homoeopathy now has been accepted as one of the National Systems of Medicine in India.

PRESENT SET UP

Homoeopathy in India enjoys Government support along with the other systems of medicine because Government is of the view that presence of all these complementary alternative systems of therapeutics offers a much wider spectrum of curative medicine than is available in any other country.

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Dept. of AYUSH

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India