HOMOEOPATHY ON PANDEMICS – T. ISHWERYA (IV BHMS SENIOR)

HOMOEOPATHY ON PANDEMICS – T. ISHWERYA (IV BHMS SENIOR)

In  a  pandemic crisis, Homoeopathy produces healthy results and its safe and cost effective.

Homoeopathy has historically outshined other therapies during epidemics and pandemics. It  successfully treated scarlet fever, yellow fever, and cholera when conventional medicine was failing.

WHAT IS HOMOEOPATHY?

Homoeopathy is time tested two century old empirical system of healing. It is natural method of treatment aimed at curing disease naturally, holistically, gently and permanently. It is based on natural law of healing “ SIMILIA SIMILIBUS CURENTUR” which means “ let likes be treated by likes”. As per this law, a substance that has the ability to produce a set of symptoms akin to disease in healthy human beings also has the ability to cure the disease in a sick person.

HOMOEOPROPHYLAXIS

The preventive aspect of Homoeopathy is well known and historically, Homoeopathy has reportedly been used for prevention during epidemics of cholera, Spanish influenza, yellow fever ,scarlet fever , diphtheria, typhoid etc.

Homoeoprophylaxis or preventive through Homoeopathy can either be met through Genus epidemics , which means a remedy which is found to be curative in majority of cases of the same disease is also most likely preventive for that disease.

EPIDEMICS  SUCCESS  STORIES

•   Belladona , calcarea carbonicum, Tuberculinum(BCT) regime adopted in a phased manner as a preventive for Japanese encephalitis (JE) in 1999 for a period of 3 years brought down the mortality and morbidity rate of JE significantly in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
• For a series of dengue fever outbreaks over the years in Brazil(2001-2012),identified Eupatorium perfoliatum or a combination of remedies based on the epidemic picture could significantly control the occurrence by 80-90%.

• A study by Rejikumar in 2006 on 1061 people living in parts of Kerala badly affected by Chikungunya epidemic showed prevention in 82.19% people after administration of homoeopathic medicine Eupatorium perfoliatum 2006. Further a 19.76% relative risk reduction in medicinal group compared to placebo wasobserved in the double blind.

SUCCESS OF HOMOEOPATHY ON CURRENT PANDEMIC – COVID 19

The AYUSH Ministry also notified that ARSENICUM ALBUM 30C Homoeopathy medicine can be used as preventive treatment against covid 19. The ministry suggested consumption of the medicine for three days on empty stomach adding that the close should be repeated after one month in case covid 19 is present in community.

Homoeopathy also seen adoption in other parts of world during covid 19 crisis.

• The Cuban government distributed homoeopathy medicines to vulnerable people
• In Brazil, authorities of cities gave Camphora 1M to more than million people as preventive measure.
• There are examples closer home too , the Kerala government is said to have distributed over 4 million vials of homoeopathic medicine as preventive medication.
• In Pune, when the Police commissioner K. Venkatesham said homoeo medicine was distributed to the force. He added that among 9000 policemen who got the medicine the incidence of the disease was a bare minimum even after six weeks. People who have closely watched this development agree with the observation.
• With the number of covid 19 cases in its ranks crossing the 1000 marks, the Maharashtra police is now providing Camphora 1M to all its personnel
• According to reports the Punjab government too has administered homoeopathy medicine to frontline covid 19 workers such as police.

FUTURE PERSPECTIVE:

Evidence that homoeopathy may be effective in prevention of covid 19 as well as an add on therapy, especially in reducing the intensity of disease and decreasing the duration of stay at hospital is enough to invoke more studies on this front with better methodology and compliance levels.

With increasing understanding of homoeopathy in epidemics and pandemics we need more rigorous trials in future and tackled with better strategies and management plan.