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INTRODUCTION OF HOMOEOPATHY

Homoeopathy was discovered by Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician in the late eighteenth century. It is a therapeutic system of medicine premised on the principle, "Similia Similibus Curentur" which means ‘let likes be treated by likes’. It is a method of treatment for curing the patient by medicines that possess the power of producing similar symptoms in a healthy human being simulating the natural disease, which it can cure in the diseased person. It treats the patients not only through holistic approach but also considers individualistic characteristics of the person. This concept of ‘Law of Similars’ was also enunciated by Hippocrates and Paracelsus, but it was Dr. Hahnemann who established it on a scientific footing.

Homoeopathic medicines are prepared from traces of animal, plant, mineral and other natural substances, by a standard method called dynamization or potentization, which comprises of successive dilutions and succussions to raise the inherent curative power of the drugs to maximum. The medicines thus prepared through ‘potentization', attain their potential enhanced enormously to combat ailments while at the same time absence of toxicity is assured. The medicines are usually proved in healthy human beings, to ascertain their curative properties. The system believes in the existence of a self- regulating force in the organism, which plays a vital role during health, disease and cure. The symptoms are considered as the body's natural reaction to the illness and help to find a remedy against the illness. The remedies work by stimulating the body's defence mechanism to correct itself naturally. A homoeopathic doctor does not treat in the name of disease, rather the treatment is targeted against the “sick individual” who is suffering from a particular disease. The physician perceives all the derangements at physical and mental levels of the patient, brings about conceptual image of the patient through totality of symptoms and selects the medicine, which is most similar to the symptomatic totality of the patient.

Homoeopathic medicines are cost effective, palatable, have no adverse side effects and can be administered easily. In some cases, the medicines can be prescribed on the basis of symptoms of the patients, without depending upon the cumbersome and costly diagnostic modalities. Homoeopathy has been useful in treatment of psychosomatic disorders, autoimmune diseases, geriatric and pediatric disorders, ailments during pregnancy, obstinate skin diseases, lifestyle disorders and allergies, etc. It also has a positive role in improving the quality of life in incurable chronic diseases like cancer, HIV/AIDS, terminally ill patients and incapacitating diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, etc. Its popularity is gaining momentum, all over the world.

Homoeopathy which was introduced in India approximately two centuries ago, is an important component of India’s pluralistic health care system. Due to the sustained efforts of the government, an institutional framework of Homoeopathy has been established at the Centre as well as in all the states. There exists a highly commendable infrastructure in the form of 195 undergraduate and 43 postgraduate homeopathic medical colleges with regulatory mechanism for quality university education, autonomous research council with 22 institutes and units; 2,83,840 registered homoeopathic practitioners; drug safety regulations with 403 drug manufacturing units.

AYUSH services are included in the health care delivery system of the country at all levels of primary, secondary and tertiary health care. The Government of India has a number of programmes and initiatives for promotion of AYUSH systems and an increase in health care coverage in the country. The regulations ensure that quality of care is maintained and medical pluralism permits patients to opt for treatment of their choice.

Healthcare services in Homoeopathy are provided by 235 hospitals and 8117 dispensaries run by state governments and municipal bodies, Central Government Health Scheme, labour ministry and Railway ministry. The Government of India launched the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), to carry out necessary architectural correction in the basic health care delivery system in the country. A strategy in the NRHM is to mainstream the Indian systems of medicine and Homoeopathy to facilitate health care through these systems. Under NRHM, AYUSH facilities have been co-located in 512 district hospitals, 2739 community health centres and 9112 primary health centres in 2015. “AYUSH Wellness Centre” has recently been inaugurated by Hon’ble President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee on 25th July 2015 at the President’s Estate, New Delhi.

Since the last two decades there is a consistent focus to enhance quality of services, with initiatives to upgrade education, research and drug development and escalate healthcare delivery for which many initiatives have been taken up by the Government of India.

Homoeopathy is currently used in over 80 countries. It has legal recognition as an individual system of medicine in 42 countries and is recognized as a part of complementary and alternative medicine in 28 countries. WHO considers Homeopathy as one of the most commonly used forms of Traditional & Complementary Medicine (T&CM).

In a joint venture with the Government of India to achieve the aim of 'Universal Health coverage by 2030' AIIMS Patna, which was established under PMSSY had decided to integrate AYUSH with conventional system of medicine to afford quality health care services to the patients.

In 2015, the Department of Homoeopathy had been included as a healthcare modality in AIIMS Patna under the guidance of the-then Director Dr. Girish Kumar Singh.

The Department is providing outpatient care for patients from Monday to Saturday.

The Department & OPD are located at the Ground floor of AYUSH building. There are 2 consultation chambers (Room no. 111 & 113) & a Homoeopathic pharmacy (Room no. 112).

The Department of Homoeopathy is planning to conduct research projects in coordination with other departments on diseases as an interdisciplinary approach.

homoeopathy@aiimspatna.org