The Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) has come out in support of the Homoeopathy doctors stating that they can practise modern medicine as well,giving hopes to around 800 doctors practising Homoeopathy but have been restrained from practising Allopathy. The Licentiate of the Court of Examiners in Homoeopathy (LCEH) Doctors Association had moved the Bombay High Court challeging the Medical Education Departments circular,issued in 2002,stating that Homoeopathic practitioners are not eligible to practise Allopathy. In 2004 again,two city doctors Vijay Pattani and Vinod Jain were issued letters by the Food and Drug Administration stating they were illegally practising modern medicine. Following this,the doctors,backed by the association,moved the court in 2006 challenging the circular and sought a clarification for the same. The high court has since admitted the petition. In a recent development,earlier this month,the DMER approached the court clarifying that the LCEH doctors can practise modern medicine as they are integrated. An affidavit filed by secretary of the association Ambalal Shah states that he had written to the DMER seeking information about the LCEH course being integrated. The DMER,in October 2009,replied that according to the 1988 amendment,it is binding on Homoeopathic doctors to administer only homoeopathic medicines. However,the DMER,clarified that the curriculum for LCEH,till 1982,included Allopathic pharmacology. Government pleader G W Mattos confirmed that the DMER has informed the secretary that a recommendation has already been made to the Medical Education and Drugs Department of the state government to allow homoeopathy doctors to practise modern medicine. The petitioners stated that LCEH was an integrated course that commenced in 1951 and continued till 1982 that trained the doctors in both Homoeopathy and Allopathy. However,in 1988,a controversy arose following an amendment to the Bombay Homoeopathic Practitioners Act 1959. The government clarified that every registered practitioner shall be given a certificate of registration in the form prescribed by rules and shall practice Homoeopathy only. The registered practitioner shall display the certificate of registration in a conspicuous place in his dispensary,clinic or place of practice. The doctors,however,contended that this amendment should not be applicable to them as they have done an integrated course that was discontinued in 1982. They argued that they have produced the syllabus and other documents to support their claims. They pointed out that they have been issued licences to possess,prescribe and dispense modern drugs under the relevant Acts.
