Urban development minister Prem Kumar (second from left) with other delegates at the conference in Bodhgaya on Tuesday. Picture by Suman

The state government has appointed 435 homoeopathic doctors since 2010 and more appointments would be made soon, urban development minister Prem Kumar said on Tuesday.

He was addressing the first day of the two-day homeopathic conference organised by the Bihar branch of Homoeopathic Medical Association of India in BodhGaya.

Prem Kumar said the government has plans to constitute an association for homoeopathy doctors on the pattern of the body for allopathy practitioners.

“The association will look into the problems and demands of the homeopathic doctors across the state. The state government also has plans to make homoeopathy treatment popular among the common people,” the minister said.

Central Homoeopathic Council president Ramjee Singh said: “The Union government had plans to allow homoeopathy practitioners to use life-saving drugs like those practising Ayurvedic and Unani. However, homoeopathy doctors have opposed the move saying that this will adversely affect the importance of this kind of medicine. The council has also opposed the decision to allow homoeopathy practitioners to use life saving drugs.”

Singh also advocated for better facilities to homoeopaths like those enjoyed by allopathy practitioners who are not only more in demand but also get a better salary. “Several chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes can be cured by homoeopathy, but there is no allocation in the budget to provide these kind of medicines at government hospitals. Even though there are limitations of homoeopathy treatment, more people subscribe to them than alopathy, ayurvedic or unani,” he said.

Several diseases such as chorea (a variety of nervous convulsion), hydrocephalus (accumulation of fluid in brain), diabetes and cancer were also discussed.

More than 600 doctors from various parts of the state and medical students from Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal and Uttar Pradesh took part in the first day of the conference.

Kalyan Swarup, a homoeopath from Bihar, said homoeopathy can treat diseases such as cysts and stones in gall bladder and kidney without surgery. “It is a misconception that homoeopathic treatment takes more time,” he said.