BANGALORE: Over 250 people die due to a plane crash, but thousands of people succumb to iatrogenesis every year. What is Iatrogenesis? It is nothing but an adverse effect resulting from medical treatment and the pharmaceuticals prescribed. “It comes as no surprise then, that homeopathy has gained immense popularity over the last few years because it is safe,” says Mukesh Batra, founder of Dr Batra’s Positive Health Clinic.
The doctor comments that in today’s day and time it is fashionable to be a homeopath. “I started my practice 40 years ago. Back then, there was no institutional support offered to those who chose this stream. I used to pay 36 per cent interest on my educational loan. However, the situation has changed today. People have come to realise that homeopathy is a safe system of cure with no side effects,” he reveals.
One could probably say that homeopathy is inked in Batra’s DNA. Between his father, him and his son, the family has over a 110 years of experience in the field. “I decided to study homeopathy because I thought that it would be a cake walk. But as I was studying I realised that it is anything but a cake walk!” exclaims the only homeopath to have received a Padma Shree.
He explains that homeopathy is a holistic method of treatment. “Unlike allopathy, homeopathy looks at the entire body as a whole unit. In the former way of treatment, the drugs mostly suppress the symptoms, they do not always cure it. This is because one part of the body is treated without keeping the rest in mind. Also, many disorders are psychosomatic. Treatment must be in totality,” he emphasises.
One of the biggest problem with chemical drugs, the doctor says, is the side effect they cause. “Every medicine has some sort of side effect. About 300 people die daily of iatrogenesis disorder in the US itself,” he mentions.
According to WHO, though homeopathy is one of the youngest systems of treatment, its also the second largest and fastest growing with a global growth rate or 22 to 25 per cent and a surge of 20 to 30 per cent in India. Does homeopathy score over other systems of treatment?
“No, it doesn’t. Every treatment has its limitations. Homeopathy can only cure psychiatric and chronic diseases. In fact it can cure certain types of cancer as well. However, it is not a cure of genetic, emergency or terminal cases. This is why it is crucial to have both the systems at play. Internationally, hospitals have began using both the methods, but as far as India is concerned, its a far cry,” says Batra.
He further adds that the medicine can be made of anything under the sun. For instance, there is a certain type of medicine that is made from tarantulas which is very efficient in calming destructive children. Another example is lachesis, extracted from snake venom. This is used to help women during menopause, though there is no snake venom in the medicine. “In homeopathy, less is more. The liquid is diluted many times to achieve the required product. It is almost similar to atomic energy. Also, there is a myth about homeopathy — before the medicines starts to take effect it worsens the problem. This is not true. Though homeopathy works on the principles of the vaccine, it only strengthens the body’s immunity,” he clarifies.