Kolkata, 14 September (H.S.): The Council of Homeopathic Medicine, West Bengal, has cautioned the state government over the continued operation of several unrecognised institutes offering courses in homeopathy and biochemistry across the state, alleging that some of them are also illegally issuing registration numbers to their graduates.

The council said issuing registration numbers to pass-outs of such institutes is completely illegal, as it is the only authorised body empowered to register homeopathic practitioners in the state.

According to the council, several such institutions, most of which allegedly came up during the previous Trinamool Congress regime, are functioning without mandatory recognition from either the Council of Homeopathic Medicine, West Bengal, or the National Commission for Homeopathy. The council has urged the state administration to initiate immediate action against these establishments.

The council has written to Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal, seeking his intervention and requesting a crackdown on the unauthorised institutes. A council insider said it had recently come across a “chain of homeopathic and biochemistry colleges” operating in Cooch Behar district in North Bengal without the required approvals.

Such institutes have also reportedly proliferated in several other districts, including North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and West Midnapore.

The council has expressed particular concern over reports that some of these institutes are issuing registration numbers to their graduates despite having no legal authority to do so. It has alleged that, in several instances, the numbers issued to such graduates were duplicates of registration numbers already allotted to legitimately registered homeopathic practitioners.

“Some pass-outs from these institutes have been provided duplicate registration numbers that had already been allotted to duly registered practitioners. Many are reportedly running clinics in different districts using such bogus registration numbers. We have requested the state government to act immediately against both the institutes and individuals practising with fraudulent registrations,” the insider said.

Meanwhile, the Homeopathic Medical Association of India has advised members of the public to verify the credentials of practitioners through the “homeopathic practitioners list” available on the Council of Homeopathic Medicine’s website.

Patients can verify the authenticity of a practitioner by entering the registration number mentioned on the prescription in the list.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh