Times of India
29 March 2010
By Nirmala M Nagaraj
Bangalore, India

No other system is so affordable and efficient, says Dr B T Rudresh
Homoeopathy expert Dr B T Rudresh is synonymous with the alternative system of medicine. From treating common flu to cancer through homoeopathy, he has not only given hope to thousands of patients but has re-defined one of the ancient systems of medicine. In an interview with TOI, Dr Rudresh elaborates on the future of homoeopathy.

Is homoeopathy the most popular alternative system of medicine?
Globally, it is extensively practised for both efficiency and affordability. Today, 20% of our patients depend on this system of medicine.

You have been able to treat some of the chronic diseases without intervention. Isn’t that a miracle?
For the past 30 years, I have been seeing at least 200 daily cases, from cancer to asthma. I have treated 1,600 complicated infertility cases, 300-odd renal failure cases, which could be managed without dialysis. Cancer is also treated with homoeopathy. It’s a known fact that this system of medicine is the best to cure respiratory diseases. Bangalore being vulnerable, 25% of our patients are treated for respiratory problems. Today, they come from across the world for treatment.

Nationally, access to homeopathy treatment is not uniform and is limited. Why?
Less than 2% of the GDP is spent on health. Funds allocated to ayurveda unani, siddha, yoga and homoeopathy (Ayush) are meagre. For instance, there are 659 Ayush dispensaries in Karnataka, of which 43 are related to homoeopathy. There are 27,000 registered practitioners in ayurveda and 10,500 in homoeopathy. So 27% of Ayush funds should be allocated to homoeopathy, but in reality, it’s less than 7%. The situation is similar at the national level too.

Is the patented homoeopathy drug market expanding?
Patented homoeopathy drugs should be banned. No two persons are alike and in homoeopathy, each case is treated individually. We believe there is no universal medicine for diseases. So government should ban all patented drugs as they are against the principle of homoeopathy.

Any research being carried out on alternative medicine?
In homoeopathy, we don’t believe in the kaleidoscopic ‘ever-changing, never-similar’ theory. Wonder drugs of yesterday have become blunder drugs today. In homoeopathy, we have 2,000 medicines with a history of 200 years, based on cause-andeffect theory. We have already searched. There is nothing to research now. To assure the public, drug-proving tests are being conducted at Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH), with support from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

Can we achieve health for all by 2020?
The millennium development goal – health for all by 2020 – cannot be achieved without including homoeopathy in the mainstream. This is because one-third of our population is not sure of the next meal; onethird continues to struggle for a square meal. We cannot set up scanning or high-tech hospitals everywhere. But all diseases can be treated at affordable cost and efficiently by homoeopathy.