Patna: A new homeopathy college and hospital will soon be established in South Bihar, marking a significant step for the state’s healthcare system after a gap of 64 years. The announcement was made by Health Minister Mangal Pandey during a programme organised to mark World Homeopathy Day at the Urja Auditorium in Shastri Nagar.
Pandey said the institution would become operational in the current financial year, adding that the popularity of homeopathy is growing rapidly across the country. He also confirmed that 86 new Ayushman Arogya Mandirs will be constructed in the state to further bolster healthcare infrastructure under the AYUSH system.
The minister noted that a modern 200-bed homeopathy hospital in Muzaffarpur, built at a cost of Rs. 121 crore, is nearing completion and will be inaugurated soon. Currently, it is the only government homeopathy hospital in Bihar. He advocated for celebrating the birth anniversaries of Babu Rajendra Lal Dutta, regarded as the father of homeopathy in India, and B. Bhattacharya, who introduced the system in Bihar, alongside that of Samuel Hahnemann.
Highlighting homeopathy’s widespread acceptance, Pandey said it remains the most trusted alternative to allopathy due to its cost-effectiveness and accessibility. He mentioned that around 200 patients are treated daily at the 10-bed government homeopathy hospital in Kadamkuan, Patna. In January, the state appointed 2,901 AYUSH doctors, including 951 homeopathy practitioners.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department, Pratyaya Amrit, praised the role of AYUSH during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that many people benefited from homeopathy treatments during the crisis. The government, he said, is committed to ensuring AYUSH receives the same priority as mainstream healthcare. Twelve homeopathy doctors were honoured during the event for their contributions, and insights into the latest research and treatment developments in homeopathy were shared. Health Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, Dr. Aditya Prakash, Executive Director of the State AYUSH Committee, OSD Gunjan Singh, and Ayushman Bharat CEO Shashank Shekhar Sinha were also present.
