The medical fraternity on the small island of Cyprus with just over 500,000 population runs at over 2,000 strong. They have strong ties with the media and the government and naturally want to maintain their power and glory, as well as protect their self-interests against other non-medical practitioners who also want to practice professionally.
Recently, there was a debate over whether homeopathy should be registered and practiced only by medical doctors.
Please note, that in many countries of the world most of the homeopaths are non-medical people, but who complete a college or university degree in homeopathy.
Why should only medical doctors practice homeopathy?
The main reason put forward by the medical fraternity is because they are “medically” trained and therefore they are qualified to identify pathology and make a medical diagnosis.
This is indeed true, but a homeopath does not make a “medical diagnosis” but a homeopathic diagnosis, taking into account the persons’ symptoms, idiosyncracies, what makes symptoms better and worse, personality, psychology, emotional state and other factors.
Once the patient picture is clear, then an appropriate homeopathic remedy is chosen to deal with all of these factors in a holistic fashion, and not to simply suppress the symptoms as is often the case when medicinal drugs are prescribed.
The doctors training in medical school, with all the superfluous pharmacology involved, does not qualify him/her to become a homeopathic doctor.
A lay-person with appropriate training as a homeopath could appropriately diagnose and treat homeopathically, as they are not using medicinal drugs of any kind.
Is there a specialty called Medical Homeopathy?
To date, there is no medical school in the world that has a specialty in homeopathy, so there is no justification for medical doctors to be called Medical Homeopaths.
Indeed, most of the medical establishment and pharmaceutical industry reject the efficacy of homeopathy on the basis that it is not “evidence-based.”
So, if medicine does not have a specialty called “homeopathy,” where should the topic of homeopathy be categorized?
In most circles and discussions, homeopathy is classified as an alternative, natural or complementary therapy and not as a “medical” category.
Where do Medical Homeopaths study?
Most homeopaths study in schools and colleges where homeopathic courses are taught by non-medical homeopathic professionals.
It therefore makes more sense for medical homeopaths completing such schools to belong to Associations under the auspices of natural medicine.
Given that the training is adequate and appropriate, then there is no reason why both medical and non-medical homeopaths cannot work in the same country together, all belonging to the same organization.
Why the rift between medical and non-medical?
There is no scientific justification of separating medical and non-medical homeopaths, particularly when there is no medical school anywhere in the world that recognizes the specialty of “medical homeopath.”
It is clearly a case of wanting control and power, and serving the self-interests of the medical industry who want to be the only ones “eating from the pie.”
It is time that the Cypriot government stopped encouraging this bullying by the medical fraternity inCyprusand took note of what many other countries are practicing.
There are many well-known homeopathic schools and colleges in the world training non-medical and medical homeopaths or repute – most of the homeopaths that have progresses homeopathy since Hahnemann’s days are non-medical.