March 17, 2020
Manas Bhuyian speaks on The National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Hon’ble Deputy Chairman Sir, I was listening to the beautiful speech of the previous speaker. He elaborated on Indian history, ethos, culture and the sequence of development in this present context. What to receive, what not to receive? What to express, what not to express? Yes, I agree.
The National Commission for Homeopathy Bill, 2019, is very specific. The other Bill has the word ‘Indian’ connected with it –, The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019. Yes, they are Indian systems. Being a doctor of modern medicine, it is crucial for me to talk about the Indian system of medicine, and homoeopathic medicine.
One of my professors once told me that our country has had a long history; we have achieved freedom, the country has progressed in many aspects — scientific development, history, technology as well as medicine. He then asked me, where do you reside? When I told him that I live in a village surrounded by tribal people, he asked, have you gone to their houses? And I told him, yes. He continued, what is their living condition? I told him that they live on their daily income and were the poorest to poor.
Now, let me tell you, Sir, that I have visited Bihar, I have visited Jharkhand, in fact, most of the States in my country. I was a member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly for seven terms. So, I have also visited the far corners of my State with the committee, and personally also.
My professor, who was accompanying me on a train journey from Sealdah to a place in north Bengal, then told me, have you noticed whether the medicines you prescribe are always taken as per the recommended dosage? I told him, no, the poor people often cannot afford to buy those medicines, or do not have full faith in them.
So then he told me, why are you not encouraging those people to access the medicines available to the branches of traditional Indian medicine? To a patient of alternative medicine, to a sufferer, belief is the main thing, not necessarily the system of medicine.
This discussion struck me as a very relevant and practical one. From that day onwards, I started mingling with ayurvedic and homoeopathic doctors. I must tell you, Sir, that despite being a doctor practicing modern medicine, no modern medicine could cure my sinus problem. I had to take the help of homeopathy to cure it. No ENT specialist could cure it. Instead, a young, talented homoeopathy doctor from the DM Dey Medical College of Homoeopathy in Howrah district cured me. This is a fact.
The type of medicinal system is not always important for bacterial and viral infections. However, if a patient needs surgical interference to save his or her life, it has to be done. If a patient is infected by a known, identified bacteria, it has to be cured by antibiotics.
But, you know Sir, till date only 65 per cent of the ailments affecting the human body have been identified and can be cured. The rest 35 per cent of the human body’s problems have not been solved, by not even the best scientists, researchers and doctors in advanced countries like USA, the UK, Germany, France, Austria, and even of China and India.
With respect to the brain, the doctors of the modern age have been able to identify only 55 per cent of the problems. A lot of research is going on. For that reason, when a surgeon enters an operation theatre, they take the name of uparwala. Someone says Allah raksha kijiye, someone says Bhagwan raksha kijiye, and then cures the patient.
So to me this is a good Bill. The Honourable Minister and the Government have recognised and given recognition to a system which is our country’s own — the Indian medical system, ayurveda. It has been neglected till now. I am not accusing any Government of the past, but it is the reality.
The British destroyed Indian medicine. The history which was told by the previous speaker is a confirmed historical episode. The British destroyed the Indian medical system in our country and they forced us to adopt modern medicine. It was not all bad. However, even after independence, ayurveda continued to be neglected. No steps were taken for its growth, research and treatment for it to benefit modern culture.
Now Germany has a centre for ayurveda. The Upanishad is taught in Iran. Where is the apex institute of ayurveda, where research is going on till this time? Can we deny that nayantara is a plant from which multi-cancer drugs are produced? Similarly many medicines derived from plants are very effective.
Our original medicinal system was neglected for the last 73 years. This is my own perception — anyone is free to deny it. So focus on ayurveda must be improved, to make it more popular. We can include surgical intervention in ayurveda courses. In allopathic modern medicine, surgical intervention is necessary. Are we hesitant about surgical intervention in ayurveda? We have to adopt these measures. For heart blockage, bypass surgery is a mandatory provision. For intestinal obstruction, surgery is a mandatory provision. Will any doctor — homeopathic or allopathic — stop you from doing so? No.
So, we need to adopt a cohesive combination of all branches of medicine, under an apex body, and provide remedies to the patients. That should be the primary matter. An integrated system of therapy should be adopted. India should become the pioneer in this context. Repealing the Act of 1973 and 1970 and bringing this in Bill to upgrade the status of our Indian medical system is highly appreciable. Despite being a practising allopathic doctor, I highly appreciate this.
We should not be like stagnant water but rather like flowing water, as in a river. We should change our mindset. We should change our psychological approach and leave it to the patient to select their choice of medicinal system to adopt. As a doctor, It is not important which medicine cures them as long as it cures them. That should be the approach and at the same time, scientific approach and evidence-based medicine should not be neglected at all.
In today’s world, modern medicine is evidence-based medicine. A simple example is coronavirus. Can allopathic medicine treat the viral infection? No. Experimentation and research is going on in 75 places across the world currently. Some retroviral, anti-HIV therapy has been tried. In some places, even chloroquine, used for malaria, is being tried. But nobody has the final answer. How will coronavirus be cured? Nobody knows.
Think of the plague which created a pandemic situation many years back. So many people died. Could we have saved all of them? No. Think of other viral diseases. Could we have saved all the patients? No. Now think of the coronavirus. Is there any allopathic medical doctor who can say with authority that he or she will cure the disease? The answer is no, though every doctor will try their best.
So, in my opinion, an integrated medical therapy should be adopted. The improvement in research, education and treatment through the Indian system of medicine (ayurveda) should be taken up. At the same time, homoeopathy has to be taken up properly and seriously. We must improve the system. So these two Bills are highly appreciable, and we support them.
