My experiences of Homeopathy in Oz - An Indian perspective

Homoeopathy is a household name in India. We immediately associate it with those sweet white pills our homoeopathic doctors gave us. No wonder kids love them. It is definitely a welcome change from the prickly needles and the horrible tasting syrups. Dentonics are a norm for every teething kid. So are Arnica oils and Calendula lotions. It is more than a century and a half now that Homoeopathy has been practiced in India. Even though Homoeopathy originated in Germany, it has blended so well into the roots and traditions of India that it is one of the National Systems of Medicine and enjoys government support. Today it plays an important role in providing health care to a large number of people in metropolitan and rural India because it is cost effective, safe, gentle, holistic and promotes inner balance in an individual. No wonder Homoeopaths in India have been family physicians of not one but several generations of many families.

As we come to this wonderful country in search of new opportunities, lifestyle and identity we are also on the lookout for those familiar things which get us back in touch with our culture - the culture, food, saris, Bollywood movies, music and yes even household ayurvedic and homoeopathic remedies!

Having migrated from India as a Homoeopathic physician with seven years of experience, let me share with you my experiences of homoeopathy in Oz. To start with I had no idea whether this was a real career choice in Australia. I came in with an open mind and very soon after some substantial groundwork I was in for some pleasant surprises. Natural therapy was not only popular but in great demand here and homoeopathy was not far behind. Although homoeopathy is still in its infancy as compared to India it is rapidly growing in popularity. The homoeopathic community here is passionate, enthusiastic and very accommodating. With their support and encouragement, very soon I found myself practicing as a homoeopathic consultant as well as teaching enthusiastic student homoeopaths in colleges.

The best part was that I made plenty of friends who were willing to learn and share. I also started working with the warm hearted Australian Homoeopathic Association who are the largest and only national association for homoeopaths in Australia. This whole process has been a great learning and life changing experience.

Homoeopaths in Australia graduate as health professionals with either a diploma or a degree in Homoeopathy and have thorough understanding of health and disease. For most it is a career choice out of genuine love and passion after some successful experience with homoeopathy on themselves or their family. No wonder they strive to give their clients the best they can offer. Most homoeopaths are already from the health care system including nursing, midwifery etc and blend both professions very well. It is common to see clients wanting birthing kits of homoeopathic medicines to be taken during labor or even first aid kits for ready use at home for their families.

It is also heartening to see a growing Indian clientelle satisfied with the homoeopathic service here. They like the fact that homoeopaths in Australia spend enough time in understanding the complete history of the patient even during followups. Mukesh Malhotra is a user of the service and states,

'Homeopaths needs to be thorough and give client enough time in order to understand their full life history as mine here did. In India, I experienced that there was always a rush at my homeopath especially during followups and they had to make quick diagnosis and prescriptions which is fine for acute cases but not life long problems'

Working as a lecturer in most major natural therapy colleges in Sydney, I have realized that the homoeopathic curriculum in Australia provides a good understanding of other natural therapies as well, which can be applied in a variety of complaints for the client’s benefit. This also enables them to refer on in cases where the client requires extra support. I remember a good herbalist friend of mine referred a client with atopic eczema who was undergoing lots of emotional stress. She knew that homoeopathy would serve her better in this case, which proved correct. Similarly I have referred several cases of people suffering bowel diseases to nutritionists for dietary advice, taken with homoeopathic medication for added support. This integrated approach here with several natural therapy practitioners working in coordination in polyclinics helps give their patients the best of natural therapies.

Most homoeopaths in Australia will dispense their own medicines or will order one for you, as there are not many local outlets around which stock single pure homoeopathic medicines for ready use. Many health chains however do stock a combination of remedies for specific purposes but it is always preferable to visit a homoeopath for a deeper constitutional treatment for chronic complaints.

For your information and interest, the Australian Homoeopathic Asscociation has provided a complete profile of homoeopathy in Australia on their website www.homeopathyoz.org, including a list of AHA Professional Homoeopaths in Australia.

(This article has been previously published in "Indus Age" in 2007)