AURANGABAD, October 10: The State's vast rural population may have received a long-awaited salve, with a recent Government Resolution (GR) permitting the over 25,000 homoeopathic doctors in Maharashtra to prescribe allopathic drugs, hitherto out of bounds for this section of medical practitioners.A copy of the GR, dated April 1, 1998, was only recently received by the Maharashtra Homoeopathic Doctors' Association, which feels the decision will give critical care for the rural population a considerable thrust since most life-saving drugs are allopathic formulations. Moreover, it will also improve the potency of the homoeopaths' practice as a majority of them service the State's rural population.The drugs which homoeopaths have been allowed to prescribe include all those mentioned by the World Health Organisation under its Health for All by 2000 programme, which range from allopathic analgesics, antibiotics and anti-allergy to steroids and anti-tuberculosis medicines, the association's President Dr P YKulkarni told The Indian Express.The GR however stipulates that homoeopathic doctors who intend to prescribe allopathic formulations must however qualify by undergoing a refresher course.Kulkarni says the decision is a giant step for homoeopaths, who often watch helplessly in times of emergencies.
