Homeopathy on the line

By Ruan Pethiyagoda

An initiative by the Homeopathic Medical Council (HMC) is threatening to bring to absolute ridicule the state of medical practice in Sri Lanka.

The Ministry of Indigenous Medicine is currently evaluating for final approval, a proposal by the HMC to utilise funds earmarked for the Homeopathic Hospital, to set up a new Homeopathic Medical College, which would offer a course allowing students to graduate as qualified homeopathic practitioners with doctorates after just one year of part-time study.

The reason that this is frightening even to those citizens not attuned to the likes of homeopathic medicine is the following: According to Section 38 of the Homeopathy Act No 7 of 1970, homeopathic doctors effective hold the same rank in the medical profession as doctors who are trained over a period of several years through the rigorous proceedings of the local O and A Level exams and the gruelling, intensive university medical schools.

This clarification is given in Section 38 of the Act by several sub-parts. Part (a) reads that "a certificate or other document required by any written law from any medical practitioner may be validly issued by a Registered Homoeopathic Practitioner, and accordingly such certificate shall not be deemed to be invalid by reason only of the fact that it was issued by a Registered Homoeopathic Practitioner."

Equated

This effectively confers on homeopathic practitioners the same power of providing a legally binding medical or diagnostic opinion, enjoyed by doctors qualified in traditional medicine. Part (b) of Section 38 goes as far as to etch in law equal employment benefits for both homeopathic and traditional medical doctors. It reads:

"A Registered Homoeopathic Practitioner shall be eligible to hold any appointment as a medical officer in any dispensary, hospital or infirmary supported by or receiving a grant from the government and to treat patients according to homoeopathy."

Homeopathic doctors are also allowed to "give evidence at any inquest or at any court" and validly sign birth and death certificates valid in law.

It is not for The Sunday Leader to judge the merits of homeopathy compared to traditional medicine, yet it is not a stretch to say that the qualification and aptitude of a medical practitioner who was qualified by attending a one year part-time course cannot be compared to that of a person who attended a full-time course over six years having had to top the island-wide A Level results to even qualify for admission to such a course.

Several homeopathic practitioners too are outraged at the prospect of their professional qualification being equated to a one year course by Sri Lanka's National Homeopathic Medical Council.

"This is an utter embarrassment to homeopathic doctors," one said. "Given that the institution will bear President Mahinda Rajapakse's name, it is an utter embarrassment for His Excellency as well."

"This new college will become a quack factory," complained another homeopathic practitioner. He said that it is not sensible to build such an educational institute using funds which could be used to make a serious impact on homeopathy in Sri Lanka.

"They could do up the hospital, or build more pharmacies." According to a group of homeopathy practitioners who spoke to The Sunday Leader, there is only one homeopathic pharmacy in operation, which is in the Mount Lavinia area. "All homeopathic doctors in the country have to depend on this pharmacy for medical supplies. It is a big impediment."

A general practitioner working in a Colombo hospital said that given the equality granted between medical and homeopathic doctors by the Homeopathy Act in Parliament, the governing body, in this case the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine should tread very carefully when taking steps that would enable people to become doctors overnight.

"At the end of the day, people's lives are at risk. And in a country like Sri Lanka, we need to build public faith in the medical system, not dissuade people by telling them anyone can become a doctor."

The GP also highlighted the fact that to even get a diploma to become a qualified pharmacist takes two years of full-time study, and asked how a course could be considered a medical course if it takes just one year to complete.

Quick diploma

"Part-time is one thing," said a doctor who was keeping an eye on the negotiations between the Indigenous Medicine Ministry and the Homeopathic Medical Council. "But this place will be awarding medical 'diplomas' after a year of just weekend classes."

"The building they are proposing to use for the Mahinda Rajapakse Homeopathic Medical College is a run down, dilapidated site nowhere near suitable for any kind of medical college." Some questioned the legality of the proposed project.

According to this school of thought, Section 27 of the Homeopathy Act prevents one from being registered as a homeopathic practitioner with less than four years of study in a recognised institution. They say that to award homeopathic doctorates with a shorter course would be in violation of the registration.

Legal loopholes

Yet there are legal loopholes that the Homeopathic Council could exploit such as a clause allowing it to recognise a homeopathic institution and course of its choice. In fact the Homeopathy Act is riddled with such loopholes that leave the integrity of the medical profession at the mercy of the Homeopathic Council.

The law should be amended by parliament to close such loopholes, which are just asking for abuse and degrade the very reputation of professional homeopathy practitioners. The Secretary, Ministry of Indigenous Medicine, Ashoka Malimage told The Sunday Leader that the Minister, Tissa Karaliyadde, has not yet approved the proposal for constructing the Mahinda Rajapakse Homeopathic Medical College.

The Minister should take into account the collective opinions of the local homeopathic community, not just those represented in the council, and also consider the welfare of patients, many of whom, especially in rural areas, will not know the difference between one of the new homeopathic doctors and a true, professionally qualified doctor.

Social indicator

Sri Lanka's free, universal healthcare system is one of the few great social indicators our island has to boast to its more powerful neighbours such as India and Pakistan. It even puts to shame the mighty United States, where a significant portion of the population cannot afford even basic health insurance.

The reputation of Sri Lanka's medical profession and with it, our healthcare system, should not be jeopardised by an ill-conceived proposal from a small, influential medical council seeking to abuse holes in our legislation, which need to be rectified by an act of parliament..