My book The Homeopathic Conversation has been republished in India and I am most honoured to be invited to give a lecture tour of India in August.
While homeopathy has been vituperatively insulted, attacked and demonised by various groups in the UK (which thankfully do not include this Government, the last one or the head of State) it has always had a prominent and respected place in the medicine of the world’s biggest democracy – India. On doing a little research into Indian homeopathy I was absolutely flabbergasted by the sheer scale of homeopathy in India.
I am most grateful to my colleague, Dr Manish Bhatia for much of the following information about Indian homeopathy:
Number of homeopaths in India:
Official Government figure: 350 000 (sic) homeopaths
Unofficial figure (includes unregistered, registration expired and lay homeopaths)
500 000 (that’s half a million!)
Indian Government attitude to Homeopathy:
- Indian Government ‘VERY supportive’ (Dr Bhatia) to homeopathy.
- Government even runs TV commercials to promote homeopathy!
- There are 1000s of Government homeopathic dispensaries and OPDs (outpatient departments) in India
- There are 176 Homeopathic Colleges in India of which 35 are Government run.
- There is a government ministry (AYUSH) dedicated to alternative medicine (including homeopathy) in India.
Regulation:
Homeopathy is fully regulated in India by the Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH) and Central Council for Research in Homeopathy (CCRH).
Conclusions: It seems clear that homeopathy is there to stay in India. So next time you see or read some condescending and patronising rubbish about homeopathy in the media, know that in India, a country with a population of 1.2 billion people (that’s more than 20x the population of the UK) homeopathy is an integral part of the healthcare system and deeply respected by the people of that country.
The word on the street is that India and China will be important parts of the emerging new world order so watch this space for an article on the place of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in China, a country with a mere 1.3 billion people.
Posted: 24.07.2011
Book Review Homeopathy
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Prime Minister says he’s going to sound like a homepathy in describing looking at the whole patient. The whole patient being the NHS.
Most major politicians in favour of NHS homeopathy but media horrifically biased against it.
Controversial anti-depressants hit all time in being prescribed on the NHS
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Posted: 07.04.11
Current Affairs Homeopathy
In the hit movie, The King’s Speech, the speech therapist, Lionel Logue, uses many of the tactics of Provocative Therapy to help King George VI deal with a speech impediment. Interestingly George VI was also treated by his homeopathic physician, Sir George Weir, who was knighted by his father, George V.
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Posted: 09.01.11
Current Affairs Provocative Therapy
A provocative look at alcohol, alcoholism and Prof. David Nutt’s recent statement about alcohol being more dangerous to society than heroin or crack cocaine.
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Posted: 05.11.10
Current Affairs Health Video
In an extraordinary statement, the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Government turns against NHS homeopathy. GPs who use homeopathy are likely to find his comment somewhat insulting.
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Posted: 30.10.10
Current Affairs Homeopathy
The Debating Society of University College London met last night. The motion was: This House would stop the funding of homeopathy on the NHS. The result was close but a heart-warming win for the supporters of NHS homeopathy. For the Motion: 71 Against the Motion: 78 Abstentions: 41 This was most heartening as there were [...]
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Posted: 26.10.10
Current Affairs Homeopathy
Doctors apparently are neglecting to examine their patients in favour of ordering tests. This is a tragedy for medicine and must be remedied as Dr. Abraham Verghes points out in an article in the New York Times
Ed and Liz continue their conversation. Episode 2.
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Posted: 23.10.10
Current Affairs Homeopathy Video
The attack on NHS homeopathy in this author’s opinion is an assault on liberty and democracy. I have made a small cartoon in order to make this point, illustrating the difference between science and scientism. The main point is that while medicine does need to be informed by science, it does not need to be fulfil the personal needs and beliefs of scientists.
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Posted: 15.10.10
Current Affairs Homeopathy Provocative Therapy Video
Comedians are suddenly influencing American politics. The power of satire has been officially recognised by the political authorities. Can the medical authorities be far behind? Probably yes.
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Posted: 12.10.10
Current Affairs Health
Today is World Mental Health Day. Started by the World Federation for Mental Health in 1992, it is a day devoted to raising consciousness for mental health causes and raising funds for these causes. As a Provocative Therapist, I considered watching the Academy Award winning film, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (sic) but [...]
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Posted: 10.10.10
Current Affairs
Homeopathy and India
