Asansol. The Health Department of the West Bengal government has reinstated the right of DMS and DHMS diploma-holder homeopathic doctors to issue death and birth certificates. A departmental notification has been issued in this regard. It is to be noted that diploma-holder homeopathic doctors had staged protests in front of the Health Building. Raising this issue, distressed doctors were continuously agitating. Deputations were also submitted to the Director of Health, Joint Secretary, and Director of Homoeopathy. Representatives of the All Bengal Homoeopathy Forum and Medical Service Centre were present. Dr. Shyamal Mukherjee, All India President of 'HomAI', the largest organization of homeopathic doctors, said that DMS diploma holders have had the right to issue birth and death certificates since 1964. After the introduction of DHMS, this right was taken away, but after a long agitation, it was reinstated in 1999.
However, on July 9 this year, the rights of DMS and DHMS doctors were snatched away again through a gazette notification. But the state government took a U-turn and restored the rights. Medical organizations have claimed that today's notification is a major victory for the agitation. Their next demand is a combined gazette notification and the development of infrastructure in homeopathic colleges. It has been decided to hold a joint convention in November regarding this.
