In the wake of a concerted effort to promote alternative medicine in the country, AP Health Minister Dr Kodela Sivaprasada Rao wants the three systems of medicine, namely, allopathy, ayurveda and homoeopathy, to be available under one roof. This, he said, would provide the patients a choice among the three forms of medicine.

Addressing the inaugural function of the National Homoeopathic Post-Graduate Scientific Conference, the Minister said the state government was committed to promote homoeopathy and ayurveda.

He said homoeopathy and ayurvedic dispensaries should be provided even in government hospitals so that patients would have an access to all the three forms of medicine. Many people were not aware of the wonders of homoeopathy since it was not widely publicized by homoeopathic practitioners and professionals. The state government was committed to promote homoeopathy and ayurveda as complementary medicine.

The Minister also touched upon the differences between doctors of allopathy and homoeopathy and said such personality clashes must be avoided in order to serve the people better.

There are about 300 homoeopathic dispensaries in the state and five homoeo medical colleges with an intake of 220 students per year. Only one death due to Japanese Encephalitis was reported in the state last year and the diseases was controlled to a great extent because of successful homoeopathic treatment, he said.

Diseases whose cause cannot be identified like allergy, asthma, bronchitis and arthritis could be treated with homoeopathy. He asked the doctors and students to come up with strategies to promote homoeopathy as a better option than allopathy.