The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

IMA censures doctors’ advertising
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 21 — The Punjab unit of Indian Medical Association has unanimously opposed advertising by doctors and urged newspaper managements to refuse displaying their advertisements. A resolution to this effect was passed at the state working council meeting of the IMA held here under the chairmanship of its president, Dr O. P. S. Kande.

The IMA clarified that the campaign was not aimed against any particular nursing home, but against all those, who were resorting to the unethical practice. It said, all such doctors would be warned and asked to stop the practice.

The IMA had decided to approach the Press Council of India to ask newspapers to stop accepting advertisements from doctors as it goes against medical ethics. It said, newspaper managements would also be taken into confidence.

In order to check quackery, the association appealed all doctors to ensure that quacks do not use their name plates. It decided to approach the Chief Medical Officer to strictly implement High Court orders for stopping the practice of quackery in the state.

The association criticised the Income Tax department for “harassing” some doctors in the city. Dr O. P. Arora, whose diagnostic centre was recently raided by IT officials, narrated the tale of his woes. He alleged that IT officials resorted to undue harassment.

While expressing solidarity with the doctors, the IMA condemned the IT department for “harassing doctors”.

As per the directions of the IMA headquarters, the local chapter of the association had decided to start the student wing of the IMA. This, it said, would help in addressing various grievances of medical students.

Dr Kande also launched a website of IMA, carrying names and addresses of its members.

The vote of thanks was presented by the Ludhiana chapter president of IMA, Dr Gurcharan Singh.

Homoeopathy gradually gaining ground
By Deepti Bhatia

LUDHIANA, Nov 21 — With more and more people turning to natural cures for various ailments, homoeopathy is fast gaining ground in the city and many local homoeopaths are becoming known for treating various ailments.

Homoeopathic remedies are believed to be effective in treating a wide range of illnesses from infectious diseases such as flu and colds to chronic conditions such as allergies, asthma or migraines. Allopathic medicines have not had much of success in treating many of these conditions. Ailments such as colds, constipation, vomiting, and diarrhoea respond well to homoeopathic treatment. Homoeopathy can help in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, fibrositis and psoriasis. Homoeopathy also helps in cases of emotional, mental or physical complaints. For example, a remedy is available to help people stop smoking. It also claims to remove tonsils and stones without surgery.

“Earlier, I never used to take homoeopathic treatment. I thought doctors give sweet tasting small white balls for everything and had no faith in it. But in the end, it was homoeopathy that cured my chronic skin allergy. From that day, I do not go for any other ‘pathy’”, says Ms A. Saluja, a middle-aged ‘convert’.

Explaining the rising popularity of homoeopathy, Dr Gursharan Singh, a leading homoeopath in the city said, “With the spread of education, people have started understanding the value of homoeopathy . It has no side effects. No bitter pills are administered and no painful injections have to be taken. It can prevent surgery and improve the condition of the mind.”

This form of medicine studies the whole person. Characteristics, such as the patient’s temperament, personality, emotional and physical responses are studied in detail before prescribing a remedy. So, a homoeopath may treat different persons exhibiting the same symptoms differently. For example, two persons exhibiting flu-like symptoms may get two different medications from the homoeopath based on the appraisal of the mind- body constitution.

“Modern medicine treats the disease in man whereas we treat man in disease. Modern medicine generalises and diagnoses the disease and treats it accordingly. It is like readymade clothes. Whereas we individualise the person suffering from particular symptoms something like a tailor-made clothes”, explains Dr Gursharan Singh.

In allopathic medicine, the symptoms are considered to be a manifestation of the disease. Drugs are given to kill the bacteria causing it or to dampen the symptom of the condition. Based on the pathological diagnosis, the doctor prescribes high doses of medicine which work by opposing and suppressing the symptoms.

Homoeopaths, on the other hand, see the symptoms as the body’s attempt to heal itself. They see the symptom as a positive sign that the body’s defence mechanism is trying to fight the underlying cause. By this reasoning, they insist that the symptoms should not be suppressed, as that means working against the body’s attempt to cure it.

“I was suffering from acute depression and hypertension . I used to fall unconscious many times and was completely bedridden for a couple of months. I tried many things, but in the end, it was homoeopathy that restored my health. Now I have so much faith in it that I go only for homoeopathic treatment for my children, my husband and myself “, said Ms Rekha Sood. Her views are supported by Ms Ranjeet Ichpoochani, who claims to have been relieved of her piles only through homoeopathy. “ The best part about this treatment was that I was spared the harrowing side effects that crop up with other forms of treatment.”

According to another homoeopath, the entire science of homoeopathy is based on the law of similarity, the principle of minimum dosage and prescription for the individual.

But according to critics of homoeopathy, many of the homoeopathic remedies are so diluted that they cannot possibly have any effect .They dismiss the effect of homoeopathy merely as one due to placebo effect. They also charge that homoeopaths have primitive knowledge. They do not take criticism well and refuse to accept new concepts as a result of which there are fewer developments taking place in this field.

However, there are a few others who do not regard this as a scientific cure. “Homoeopathy only studies symptoms. It does not study disease or its cause. It is a less researched branch whereas allopathy studies disease and its causes in detail. The side-effects of some of the drugs are known and patients are advised beforehand to take the necessary precautions. But in Homoeopathy there is no standard medication and its effects or working are unknown”, said an allopath, Dr Roopinder Singh of Dugri area.

Heart centre coming up in DMC
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 21 — Dayanand Medical College and Hospital will shortly start a Hero DMC Heart Centre - a unique tertiary cardiac care centre in Ludhiana. This biggest heart centre of north India will be operational in the last week of January 2001.

The coming up of hero DMC Heart Centre is considered as a major revolution keeping in view the fact that the South Asian nations have high rate of heart diseases and India, particularly the northern part, is still lagging behind in the availability of treatment facilities in proportion to population and area.

According to a press release , the total cost of this project will be round Rs 35 crore, which includes Rs 20 crore for construction and an additional expenditure of around Rs 15 crore has been ,made on the purchase of sophisticated imported equipment and patient monitoring units in the first phase. The upcoming air-conditioned complex will be constructed within the DMC complex and will cover an area over one lakh square feet and it will have five storeys. The motive behind starting this super specially wing was to provide employment to a lot of people. The centre is the brainchild of Mr Prem Nath Gupta, Secretary Managing Society of DMCH.

The heart centre will provide scientific and personilised care to the patients on cardiology and surgical sides through qualified and devoted team of doctors specially trained for the special care of cardiac patients. The surgical wing will have adequate number of OT's with provision for laminar flow.

There will be intensive care areas which will include emergency, surgical ICUs and coronary care units. The centre will be equipped with the latest technologically upgraded and sophisticated machines. There would also be a cath lab. The non-invasive wing will have adequate facility for color doppler echocardiography, treadmill testing and holter monitoring.

There will be dietary wing through which all patients will be given a balanced and nutritious diet as required. The hospitals will have 24 hours on call mobile ambulance service, which will be handled by a team of trained emergency doctors and technicians.

A special feature will be an executive health check-up clinic to check the preventive aspect of the diseases where al the healthy individuals can get examined.