GUWAHATI, March 3 - As part of its protest against the State government�s �apathetic attitude� towards homoeopathy and the police brutality on agitating homoeopathic college students recently, the All Assam Homoeopathic Medical College Students� Union today closed down the three homoeopathic colleges in Guwahati, Jorhat and Nagaon for an indefinite period till its problems are sorted out.
The student body also came down heavily on Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his reported statement that there was no public demand for homoeo doctors in society and hence people might file complaints, RTI, etc., if homoeo doctors were appointed.
�If that be the case, why are the three government homoeopathy colleges being run in Assam at the cost of public money and lives of meritorious students opting for BHMS after competitive entrance exams ruined? The Health Minister has yet again shown his callous altitude by feigning ignorance and turning a blind eye to the genuine issues and the plight of unemployed BHMS doctors,� the student body said in a statement.
Stating that belittling the potential of resourceful BHMS doctors is simply reprehensible, the union pointed out that alienating the BHMS doctors from public healthcare service citing lame excuses of lack of public interest is unacceptable.
�The public has never opposed the appointment of homoeo doctors and the people of every other state of the North East have immensely benefited from the services of our own BHMS doctors,� it said.
The agitating students have been resorting to a series of protests including observance of black day on March 1. On March 2, FIRs were lodged by the union, the All Assam Homoeopathic Doctors Association and the All Assam Homoeopathic Junior Doctors� Association at the Dispur Police Station against the police brutality on agitators.
�People who came for homoeopathic treatment in the homoeopathic medical college hospitals today have snubbed the Health Minister�s claim of �lack of public demand� for homoeopathy, as they had to go back due to the ongoing strike,� the student body said.
