Speech on Council of Europe in the group for alternative medicine that took place in Cyprus on Alternative Medicine.

1. The words Alternative, Complimentary and Paramedical methods of healing should all be applied to indicate different groups of therapeutic methodologies.

2. As Alternative methods should be defined only Homeopathy and Acupuncture that can take the responsibility in treating acute or chronic conditions by experienced and well educated practitioners-doctors on a constant and responsible way. Such methodologies should stand by themselves because if they are prescribed together with chemical drugs they loose most of their healing power or become obsolete or even confuse the symptomatology. These two methods cannot be mixed with others at the same time if we expect them to have the utmost benefit to the patient. None of the other therapeutic methodologies should be excluded but used if the practitioner-doctors feel that his/her treatment does not yield the desirable results.

3. As Complementary methods could be defined the herbalism, naturopathic medicine, physiotherapies, the anthroposophical medicine, osteopathy, chiropractors and in general systems that do not by themselves claim to stand for a complete health system-services in a life long health care system. On the other hand these methods are usually applied in conjunction or parallel to the orthodox way of treatment

4. By the term paramedical could be defined all therapies that do not use medicinal substances and on the other hand could not claim to treat diseases, like yoga, massage, meditation, music therapy aroma therapy etc.

5. Alternative or complementary medicine should not become the exclusive right of Medical doctors. If it becomes doctors will have a monopoly that will give them a power beyond control by any other political group or government. Let alone that a doctor could not learn all of them, limited by the time each of these methodologies require in order to be mastered. In such a case exploitation of patients will be easily possible and on the other hand the extermination of such traditional practices could also be easily attained by the manipulation of doctors through the pharmaceutical industries. Therefore Alternative, complimentary and paramedical Methods of healing should be allowed to be practiced by both MDs and license health practitioners. But stress on the importance of the education of both groups is necessary in order to reach the best possible situation concerning health services for the people.

6. From the above it is obvious that the education of the different groups of doctors and practitioners should have different priorities and different objectives. For the professional group for Homeopathy and Acupuncture, -especially since they are going to stand in their own rights -is required an all around education on medical subjects that is necessary for undertaking the responsibility of treating acute or chronic cases with such methodologies. This is not enough at the moment in the different existing schools. On the other hand medical doctors need a better education on acupuncture or homeopathic subjects. At this moment the best knowledge on alternative methods of healing is not the property of official institutions-colleges but lies mostly with individuals. These individuals are not usually medical doctors though some of them are quite competent. Such individuals should be sough out and used as a nucleus for the forming of official-formal- institutions of education at a university level.

7. Priorities on education should be established for the standardization of all these methodologies. Alternative methods like homeopathy and acupuncture should receive highest priority in education and promotion by the governments. Then complementary methods I do not think that for paramedical methods standards are needed at the moment.

8. At the same time as the educational institutions will be forming, research should be initiated on those different methods that claim to be alternatives to find out their precise limits as well as their strongest sides. The European Parliament should not put all these methods in the same basket in the same priority and spend time money and energy for all of them.

General statements

A. Homeopathy is a complete system of medicine that cannot be compared to anyone else, except perhaps of acupuncture but even then Acupuncture has a second place in effectiveness.

B. It is the cheapest therapeutic method that can have permanent curative results. Good homeopathic treatment can cure acute or chronic diseases so as the individual does not have to take constantly medications, either homeopathic or allopathic and therefore the cost is minimized.

C. There are some cost-effective studies that show that can save a lot of money for the governments. but more research can be constituted under the direction and financing of EP.

D. Homeopathic treatment is gaining more and more acceptance from the public within the European community and in some countries the percentage of the population that finds access and relief in that therapeutic method is more than ten percent. for homeopathy alone. Also more and more conventional doctors are implementing this method as an alternative.

E. If thousands of doctors are turning in to homeopathy today and also millions of patients are at this moment running in to such methods then an order from the governments is necessary to be implemented so as to prevent a future chaotic situation with confusing and disastrous effects upon the population.

The International Academy for Classical Homeopathy in Alonissos, will be glad to provide to the group any information pertaining on education in classical homeopathy of Medical Doctors or health practitioners as well as practical advise how such programs could start.