HOMEOPATHY IN NEPAL

Homeopathy is not merely a special form of therapeutics but a complete system of medicine with a distinct approach to life, health, diseases, remedy and cure. It is holistic, individualistic and dynamic approach to life, health, diseases, remedy and cure. It is thoroughly scientific in the approach and medicine. Government of Nepal has been trying to make health system simple, cheap and to make it more systematized. Hence health service act 1996 has recognized Allopathic system, Ayurvedic system and Homeopathic system under the health service system.

Hence Homeopathic system of medicine is legally accepted in Nepal as an independent system of medical treatment. In Nepal, system of Homeopathy has not come to the existence since long and at the present moment it is in crawling phase of development. However it has come to the existence since the Rana Regime. In period of Sri Tin Chandra Shamsher in the year 1922, there was epidemic of cholera and at that time Dr. K. Mukherjee from India visited Nepal and homeopathic medicine "Camphor" could treat the epidemic with success.

Rana Prime Minister was impressed at that time and there was acceptance of Homeopathy among the higher authorities and rich pupil. In 1922, immediate Field Marshall Rudra Shamsher Rana published first homoeopathic book "Pariwarik Homeopathic Chikitsha" which was also a new jewel added to homeopathy in Nepal at that time. During the developmental phases at Kathmandu in 1940, Vetenary Homeopathic clinic was opened by Government and Dr. Kush Bahadur Thapa was the treating homeopathic doctor at the clinic. He had treated elephant of prime minister successfully .

In the year 1950, private organizations were established and still it has been providing services in Nepal. In 1984, with the help of Government "Gyanendra Mohan Memorial Hospital" was established at Kathmandu. At that time with Government\u2019s interest few students were sent to India to study Homeopathy. But this provision has been cancelled now.

In the year 1953, Ram Agori Baba, a saint requested to His majesty King Tribhuvan to establish Homeopathic hospital. Hence on his request, Pashupati Homeopathic Hospital was established in 1953 with the facility of out door patients service with 6 bedded facilities situated at Harihar Bhawan, Lalitpur. From 1955 to 1973, Dr. Achyut Bahadur Shrestha was appointed as Royal Homeopathic Physician. There was evidence of reported clinics providing their service from 1960 to 1963 at remote places of Nepal. In the similar state however, there were opening and closing of the clinics explains the development of Homeopathy in Nepal.

At Present, Pashupati Homeopathic Hospital is providing its service in the field of Homeopathy. There are few private organizations which are providing their service in Homeopathy with one senior medical officer and 2 homeopathic physicians. At the moment Government is planning to extend up to 25 bedded hospital facilities at the same Hospital. There are around 70 homeopathic doctors all over the country who have been trained and graduated from India. There are lay homoeopaths who have been providing their service at various part of Nepal. There are homeopathic graduates who have been providing their service at kathmandu and certain cities of Nepal. In Biratnagar, eastern region of Nepal with initiation of Mr. Tarun Sancheti, Nepal Homeopathic Medical College has been established and they are teaching homeopathy similar to India, a course of five and half years and after the completion of the degree students are independent homeopathic doctors. Government is well supervising the quality of the college and the college is also trying to fulfill all the required procedures. It is a good milestone for the development of Homeopathy in Nepal.

Government is organizing various meetings to establish an alternative Council which will bring Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Chinese medicine and Acupuncture and Amchi under the umbrella of alternative council. There is an open invitation for the alternative science to come under this council. It is under the process of development. There are 13 members and among them four Homeopathic doctors are in the organizing body and president of this council is the director of Pashupati Homeopathic Hospital, Dr. Shabbir Khan. Hence Nepal is more hopeful incoming future regarding the development of Homeopathy in country.

BHAKTAPUR HOMEOPATHIC CLINIC

As far as health facilities are concerned, there are great variations in health care facilities in the country due to socioeconomic factors. Doctors are more concentrated in the urban areas, whereas there is serious paucity of doctors in rural areas. Bhaktapur being one of the cities with a dense population lacks also health care facilities. We have initiated this Bhaktapur Homeopathic clinic to serve those who seek proper treatment. It gives priority to patients having low socioeconomic background, providing very cheap homeopathic treatment.

Originally, the Bhaktapur Homeopathic clinic is an initiative coming from the first project Bhaktapur international Homeopathic clinic of European Doctors. The duration of the previous project was five year as from 1995 till 2001. During this period doctors from Europe contributed significantly to the development of Homeopathy in Nepal by giving their theoretical and practical lessons to enthusiastic Nepalese students and even running a clinic. During this period Classical Homeopathy came into the existence first time in Nepal and teaching was focused on teaching Classical Homeopathy. During this time European doctors served economically weak people of Bhaktapur area and produced Nepali Homeopaths who are now qualified to treat patients independently at very high level. To give continuity to this pioneering work, Mr. Rabindra Puri initiated this new project "BHAKTAPUR HOMEOPATHIC CLINIC" with full support from the members of BIHC from Europe. Dr. Tinus Smits, Dr. Ortrud Lindemann, Dr. Resie Moonen and Dr. Barbara Fischer has their great contribution in the development of this project. Mr. Rabindra Puri is one of best managing director that Nepal can get who has full enthusiasm to develop Homeopathy in Nepal. Dr. Bharati Devkota is director of the clinic who is the first lady Homoeopathic doctor to represent Homeopathy in Nepal at LIGA congress 2005. Dr. Ambika Gnawali and Dr. Rajesh Pradhanang are the deputy directors of the clinic who represented LIGA 2006 and with the team of these doctors; Homeopathy is being spread in various corners of Nepal. They are regularly conducting awareness raising programme in the field of Classical Homeopathy, writing homeopathic articles in regular basis, treating patients at Clinic. They have planned to extend the clinic for cancer patients. Homeopathic Health Assistant (HHA) programme is also one of plan to be implemented as soon as possible in Nepal in which students will be taught Homeopathy along with giving knowledge about medical system for 3 years full time study and they will be able to serve people with homeopathic medical system at remote places of Nepal. BHC is waiting for the permission of authority to start the course immediately. Hence Classical Homeopathy is rising in Nepal.

Author:
Dr. Bharati Devkota
Homeopathic Physician- Director Bhaktapur Homeopathic Clinic.
Clinical Psychologist.n

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