Experiencing homeopathy in India
In January 2005 16 members of the Homeopathic Education and Research Association (HERA) spent three weeks of intensive homeopathic training at the Dr M.L. Dhawale Memorial Rural homeopathic Hospital in Palghar, which is located 3 hours north of Mumbai, India. The Hospital was founded by the Institute of Clinical Research (ICR) which is dedicated to 'bringing homeopathy to the man/woman on the street' as well training homeopathic physicians to become efficient prescribers and clinicians.
The three week intensive training was organized by homeopathic physicians at the hospital in Palghar. One of these physicians, Dr. Dixit, has been coming to Australia every year for the last two decades to hold 2-7 day workshops. The exposure to his in depth knowledge of homeopathic practice and style of case analysis has profoundly influenced the way many homeopaths practice in Australia.
In India homeopathy has a very different standing than in Australia. All homeopaths are also medical practitioners which has led to a higher social standing of this form of natural medicine. homeopathy is commonly practiced in a hospital setting in India; aspects of Western medicine such as emergency care and surgery are combined with the use of homeopathy for the treatment of most acute and chronic health complaints.
During the stay in India we participated every day in the specialist outpatient clinics: dermatology, psychiatry, rheumatology, diabetes, paediatrics & others. There were 200 plus patients a day visiting the outpatient clinics. We also attended the ward rounds for in-patients, observed different types of surgery and joined the mobile clinics to visit the tribal villages. During the evenings & weekends we engaged in interactive presentations by senior homeopathic physicians. Unanimously it was an inspiring homeopathic learning experience.
Those who attended felt that the trip has instigated a significant leap in their homeopathic knowledge. Seeing first hand the management of both complex pathologies as well as everyday complaints has given us new insights into the development of therapeutic strategies by ICR physicians.
Below is a brief picture diary:
The Hospital was built with donated funds and provides health care to the local population as well as serving as a teaching institution for homeopathic physicians. It is the largest hospital in the area and very well equipped for Indian standards. Apart from the homeopathic treatment of acute and chronic conditions an important function is educating local women to give birth in the labor ward; infant mortality rates are still very high in this area of India (100/1000 births) and providing a hygienic environment where potential complications can promptly be addressed has been of great benefit.
Food is a combination of pleasure and suffering in India. We had a cook prepare all our meals but were still not able to avoid a bout of food poisoning which struck 14 out of 16 of us. During the first week we all enjoyed the Indian cuisine, though we longed for some occasional non-spicy food thereafter. We all left India with a Chai-tea addiction though.
Dr. Dixit is one of the most senior homeopathic physician at the hospital and is highly respected for his clinical assessment and prescribing skills. Many highly complex cases are referred to him and his unique insight into homeopathy consistently impresses. Its was rewarding to see cases such as tuberculosis or scleroderma being managed solely by homeopathy.
The out-patient department sees around 200 patients per day. Most patients come from a rather poor back ground; local workers, farm labourers and some who travel long distances due to the reputation the hospital has gained over the years.
Every case must be presented to a senior consulting physician before deciding on the treatment approach. The room got quite busy with Indian students, the senior physician, us as observers and the patient(s). Patients did not seem the least irritated by the amount of people present. The cases were taken in Marati or Hindi, but all case notes and discussions were in English, which made it a great learning experience.
A bus was converted to a mobile consulting room as well as dispensary, and would visit many local villages to provide treatment to people who otherwise had no access to any form of health care. It was inspiring to see the dedication with which local practitioners had built up a heath care system in the area. It became evident how ideally suited homeopathy is as an effective form of treatment is such poor areas of the world, due to the low cost of the medications dispensed.
We visited a rural aid project by the ICR in Bopale which was financed by an Organisation of Indian Ex-pats in New Jersey, USA. We were the first Westerners to enter the Village which had one water pump and mud huts as housing. It took nearly a decade for the aid project to be accepted by locals. Crucial to its success was training local people as social workers rather than just 'setting up shop' and expecting people to embrace the new health service.
A group shot of all the participants in the training program taken on the front lawn of the hospital with Dr. Dixit to left and the administrative head of the hospital Dr. Kapse to the right.