Exclusive Interview of Dr Leena Dighe, Principal, Dr. V. H. Dave Homoeopathic Medical College, Anand. - homeopathy360

Exclusive Interview of Dr Leena Dighe, Principal, Dr. V. H. Dave Homoeopathic Medical College, Anand.

Dr Abha (ED): What is unique about college?
Dr Leena Dighe (LD): Dr. V. H. Dave Homoeopathic Medical College is one of the pioneer Homoeopathic Medical College in state of Gujarat. Ours is the premier institute to start the Post Graduate Course in Homoeopathy in Gujarat. It is the only institute run by the trust Gujarat Homoeopathic Society, which provides full patronage to Homoeopathy. Our trust has been formed only with one motto that it will spread Homoeopathy to grass root level as well as will win trust for Homoeopathy in common Man.
ED: What does a typical day look like for you working as Principal?
LD: A Typical day starts with Prayer to Almighty and Our Master Hahnemann. Usual work distributed in 3 Part. Academic activity, Clinical Activity and Administrative work. College starts at 9 am and works till 5 pm. Morning 9 to 12 are dedicated to OPD Activity. Our College is situated in Milk city Anand and it is surrounded by Many Villages, so numbers of Patients are in queue for their Treatment in Morning hours.
Noon Session starts at 1 pm and it is full of Academic and Administrative Activity. There will be either lecture in under Graduate section or Discussion or Presentation and interaction with Post Graduate student every day.
ED: How is India’s current Homoeopathy Medical Education Scenario?
LD: There is constant evolving trend in Homoeopathic Education. Started with LCEH a DHMS course, now Homoeopathy offers Ph.D from various universities of Country. So, we can say Homoeopathy has passed Log Phase and is in Exponential phase regarding Education and much is still to be done.
ED: The Environment for Homoeopathic Medical Research in India is very conducive. Do you agree?
LD: Homoeopathy has special research wing governed by Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy. CCRH provides a uniform guideline for Research in ‘Survey, collection and cultivation of medicinal plants’, ‘Drug standardisation’, ‘Drug proving’, ‘Clinical verification’ and ‘Clinical research’. Besides, CCRH also collaborates with other research bodies for researches and monitors extramural researches.
CCRH has started a innovative step to develop interest among the Under Graduate and Post Graduate student for Research by initiating Short Term Student ship in Homoeopathy.
ED: What are your views on public trust in doctors and other challenges?
LD: Public trust in doctors is directly proportionate to results given by doctors. The results are directly proportionate to knowledge and application of Homoeopathy by Homoeopathic Physician. Still the challenge is to increase the demand for Homoeopathy at grass root level where the actual Indian lives i.e. rural area and this can be overcome by highlighting the efficacy of Homoeopathy in common ailments like fever, cold, Coryza, Rheumatic, Paediatric ailment and nutritional deficiency of rural population.
ED: Why is Research Orientation low in the Homoeopathic Colleges of India?     
LD: Health research training is an essential component of medical education and a vital exercise to help develop physician research skills. Research means that results derived from sample study should be reproducible at mass level. Research work itself needs lot of time dedication. Still the teaching Fraternity in the Homoeopathic colleges need to be oriented for research and motivated to publish research in peer review journals. The stake holder should make it mandatory to rate the teaching fraternity on the basis of their research work and publication which improves the orientation for research in Homoeopathy in Homoeopathic Colleges in India. If research activity is appreciated like we at our college acknowledge and reward the faculty member for presenting & Publishing article/Paper then the level of research orientation will progress further.
ED: What is your take on funding scenario for Homoeopathic Sector?
LD: Homoeopathic Colleges are under 2 (F) section of UGC grant which means we are not entitled for direct Grant by UGC. Homoeopathic colleges have to approach through Department of Ayush, Government of India for Extramural Research. So, funding scenario for Homoeopathic sector is very sparse. In Gujarat there is not a single Government Homoeopathic College.
ED: Most of the students join B.H.M.S. as a secondary Option. How you make them aware of the challenges and opportunities.
LD: It is obvious we opted anything second only when we are unable to get the first. Still the MBBS is the first choice for student because it is enrooted in the people’s mind that Allopathy is the only Medical Branch, but nowadays I see the change in the mindset of people. We convince the people that every science has its scope and limitation. If anyone work with scope of that science definitely he can prospered and science will also prospered. We orient the student and parents at the time of admission into 1st BHMS about the opportunities and scope of Homoeopathic System of Medicine. From 3rd BHMS onwards we expose students to the rural OPD so that they can come to know about the challenges that they have to meet as a Homoeopathic Physician.
ED: How do you uplift the morale of your students with regard to career?
LD: Teacher’s morale is a major issue in any Educational institute. Low morale decreases engagement with colleagues and students, diminishes productivity, reduces students learning and breeds cynicism(Scepticism). On the other when morale is high and the faculty culture is healthy, student excels socially and academically, teachers are productive and collaborative, and the institute environment is dynamic and engaging. Since the significant role teacher morale plays, institute must work continuously to improve the teacher morale. It is the responsibility of authorities to encourage faculty to clinically involve themselves, so that they support their teaching with practical success.
ED: In pursuing courses in hospital administration and emergency medical service along with B.H.M.S. a road to employment?
LD: Yes. It provides a good opportunity for budding Homoeopaths in getting jobs at Corporate Hospitals and Emergency Management and Research Institute. But this will change their focus from Homoeopathy to Modern Medicine and many of them afterwards remain attached to this field. What I personally feel is that is the Homoeopaths can be trained in Hospital Management and Emergency Medical service along with Scope of Homoeopathy in this area it will be a symbiotic relationship for both.
ED: What steps you have taken to ensure descent OPD inflow.
LD: The descent inflow in OPD section depends on various factors like Physician’s skill in Clinical Homoeopathy, Results, advertisement and awareness of Homoeopathy among the population regarding effectiveness of Treatment.
We have developed speciality department in Homoeopathy run by Homoeopaths which attract patient for personalise care and provide more satisfaction.
We are running more than 15 rural centres in the periphery of Anand where One Teaching Faculty along with PG student and Interns visits regularly, and from these centres needed patients were referred to Main OPD or IPD section which help us to maintain inflow and serves better academic purpose. We organize camp at or nearby this Rural centres regularly and especially if epidemic threat looms for the awareness about Homoeopathy.
ED: Enumerate the infrastructure needed for your college for research activities?
LD: Research activity at Homoeopathic Medical College needed Digital Case Record System, Patient Management System, Data Analysis and Documentation. A Master in Biostatistics will be of great help to make research evidence based.
ED: In what areas your college wants to go forward with regard to research?
LD: College is presently working on Iron deficiency Anaemia, Periodontitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome. We have completed many other researches in past years and published in various journals or presented in conferences.
ED: What are your goals and aspirations towards making your college a better hub of education?
LD: My goal is to satisfy each patient approach to Homoeopathy for their ailing health. My aspiration is to imbibe the confidence among the students of Homoeopathy for Practising Homoeopathy through their clinical exposure in college OPD itself and to develope speciality department of Homoeopathy in parallel with our counterpart.
ED: What extra effort you put in to stand out among the list of around 195 Homoeopathic Colleges in India?
LD: Discipline & Dedication is the key to success in any field. I would like to maintain it at all level Be it me, My faculty members or My students. I hope the almighty always bless me to serve the ailing humanity with the gentle science of Healing and promote practising Homoeopathy in as many as students and opting Homoeopathy as large as population as Possible.

Posted By

Team Homeopathy 360