Following sustained demands, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) has now chalked out details of a refresher course homoeopaths will have to take before being allowed to prescribe allopathic drugs. The course has been drafted on the basis of recommendations of the Ganeriwal Committee, set up by the government to look into the matter.

The move has, however, struck a raw nerve among allopathic practitioners, who feel a mere refresher course will not equip homoeopaths to make a foray into what they perceive is their domain. Homoeopaths, on the other hand, argue that it will benefit the state's vast rural population, a large section of which depends on this faculty of medicine.

However, drafting the refresher course is only the first step in the longand arduous battle towards breaching barriers in crosspathy. During the Monsoon Session of the state Legislature, the government had promised to pave the way to allow homoeopaths to prescribe allopathic drugs. It subsequently asked the DMER to draft the syllabus for the refresher course. The DMER, Dr V L Deshpande, told Express Newsline that he has completed the assignment and recently submitted the syllabus to the Department of Medical Education.

However, before the government can kick off the course, it will have to wade though a sea of procedural and legal formalities. For starters, the syllabus will have to be approved by the Medical Council of India (MCI), the apex body governing medical education in the country. Next, it will have to secure an injunction against a May 1996 Supreme Court order banning crosspathy in the Poonam Verma vs Ashwin Patel and others.

However, allopaths are extremely cynical about the government's move, refresher course notwithstanding. Says Dr Satish Naik, member ofthe General Practitioners Association-Greater Bombay: ``If homoeopaths want to prescribe allopathic drugs it shows they don't have faith in their own system of medicine.'' Besides, a three-month refresher course will not adequately equip homoeopaths to meet the demands of allopathy, he says.

The government's argument though is cogent. The move will benefit the state's rural population, many of who do not have access to `modern' medicine. However, Dr Arshad Gulam Moh'd, member of the Indian Medical Association challenges: ``How many homoeopaths will want to practise in rural areas? It is just an excuse to get into our field.''

The Homoeopathic Integrated Medical Practitioners' Association, Maharashtra, which has around 20,000 members in the state, disagrees. According to Dr Rajesh Rao, the association's general-secretary, the refresher course will suffice as homoeopaths have already studied various aspects of medicine. ``Our curriculum did not have details on allopathic pharmacology, and the refreshercourse will compensate for that. The need to prescribe allopathic drugs arises because every field is deficient in some way. With allopathic drugs, emergency cases can be easily treated,'' he points out.

Course Details

Director of Medical Education and Research Dr V L Deshpande says the three-month refresher course emphasises allopathic pharmacology but it will also cover topics in the regular MBBS course though only at ``a basic level''.

Though candidates will be trained to prescribe all drugs used by general practitioners, which include cardiovascular drugs, analgesics and sedatives, they will be allowed to prescribe only those listed in the `Health For All By 2000' programme prepared by the World Health Organisation. This includes a number of allopathic analgesics and antibiotics.

While homoeopaths will be allowed access only to emergency drugs, Dr Deshpande says: ``Any drug could be life-saving depending on the circumstances.''

The course will include around 70 hours theory and somepractical training, which will depend on the institutes conducting the course. However, the institutes have yet to be shortlisted since universities usually do not conduct short-term courses, Dr Deshpande explains. The government hopes to rope in medical colleges affiliated to public hospitals and even private institutes. It has also yet to decide which board will conduct the final examination.

Also, the government will not contribute funding for the programme but will provide human resources. ``We can get government teachers to participate in teaching programmes,'' Dr Deshpande says.