Homeopathy in India – Schwabe India
HOMEOPATHY IN INDIA
This therapeutic system came to be practiced in India during the life time of Dr. Hahnemann, the father of Homoeopathy. Dr. Mahendra Lal Sircar, was the first qualified physician in India who was inspired by the favour of lay-homoeopath Babu Rajen Datta, who himself practiced homoeopathy and treated successfully many patients, some of whom were distinguished men of the time such as Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, Raja Radha Kanta Deb Bahadur. Later Dr. Mahendra Lal Sircar was instrumental in spreading the prestige and fame of homoeopathy far and wide in India. Ultimately more and more people started taking homoeopathic treatment for various diseases.
In view of the fact that treatment by the system of Homoeopathy is restored to by many people, a resolution was moved and adopted in the Parliament of India in 1948 to regulate the teaching, registration and practice. Subsequently the Government of India appointed a Homoeopathic Enquiry Committee in 1948, and the Committee submitted a report in 1949. There were several enactments regulating homoeopathy by State Governments. Government of India recognised homoeopathy as a system of medicine at par with other systems of medicine in 1962. The above Committee had also recommended that Central Council of Homoeopathic Medicine should be established. Following that, the Homoeopathic Central Council Bill as recommended by the Joint Committee was passed by both the houses of Parliament and was given assent to by the President of India on 17th December, 1973. There after Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory was established in 1975 and Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy was established in 1979.
India today has largest number of homoeopaths (over 2 lacs) compared to any other country. There are over 180 homoeopathic medical colleges in India, offering basic degree BHMS with 5½ years duration and 7 post-graduate courses with the specialities like materia medica, organon, repertory, homoeopathic pharmacy, practice of medicine, paediatrics and psychiatry. As per reports about 40-50 million people opted for homoeopathy in 2006-07 and according to a forecast the number would exceed to 100 million by 2010. Supplies of medicines to growing demand are met by physicians as well as pharmacists. Homoeopathy is second most sought after system of medicine in India