KOCHI: “Time for integration has come and it is not because allopathic medicines fail in treatment but rather it is the demand of the people and patients worldwide,” said Dr Michael Dixon, Chair-College of Medicine and Integrated Health, UK, and Visiting Professor, University of Westminster and University College London, while inaugurating the two-day ‘International Conference on Integrative Oncology 2020 (ICIO 2020)’ at Le Meridien, here on Saturday. The conference is being organised by the Global Homeopathy Foundation (GHF).
Dr Dixon called upon integration of various medical streams while combating diseases. He pointed out that anti-microbial resistance, over-prescription of opiates (drugs derived from opium) and over-prescription of conventional medicines have compounded the situation. “Enormous issues persist back in United Kingdom (UK), National Health Services (NHS) England banned herbal and homoeopathic medicines while Royal College of General Practitioners asked general practitioners not to offer Homoeopathy and National Institute for Clinical Excellence changed guidelines on palliative care and back pain,” said Dr Dixon.
However, he said the good news is that at last AYUSH has arrived in UK with College of Medicine and Integrated Health taking the lead and it is also forming an Integrated Medical Alliance apart from organising a yoga conference. “Integration of medical systems is of paramount importance in oncology for prevention, treatment, treating side-effects of conventional medicine and preventing recurrence,” he said.
Those who addressed the inaugural function included Dr Jayesh Sanghavi, vice- chairman GHF, Dr T K Harindranath, president, Indian Homoeopathic Medical Association, Dr Piyush Joshi, secretary general, Homoeopathic Medical Association of India, Dr Eswaradas, chairman, GHF, Dr Issac Mathai, Soukya Holistic Clinic, Dr Velavan, Radiation Oncologist, Erode Cancer Centre, Dr Sandeep Roy, chairman, organising committee ICIO 2020, Dr Madhavan Nambiar IAS (retd), Patron GHF and Dr Sreevals G Menon, Managing Trustee, GHF.
Over a thousand delegates from 30 countries apart from India are attending the event. Around 25 key scientific papers are being presented at the summit. ICIO 2020 is held in association with Central Health & FW Ministry, AYUSH/TCAM Ministry, all AYUSH/TCAM research councils and the governments of Kerala and Maharashtra, and National AYUSH Mission.
PRESENTATIONS
Dr Vinu Krishnan, member, sub-committee on cancer, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, New Delhi, presented a paper on ‘Analysis and observations of stage 3 and 4 lung cancers using homoeopathic interventions’ while Dr K M Madhu, superintendent, Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala Ayurvedic Hospital and Research Centre, Kochi, presented a paper ‘Integrative oncology-an ayurvedic approach’. Dr Bindu John Pulparambil, RMO, Government Homoeo Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, presented a paper on palliative care while Dr Ravi Doctor, associate professor with Virar Homoeopathic Medical College, Mumbai, dealt on clinical assessment of homoeopathy and its role in survival in third and fourth stage cancers. Dr Surendran Veeraiah of Cancer Institute (WIA) presented a paper on psychosocial care in oncology.