Questions over homeopathy

Dear Sir,

In reference to the letter “Homeopathy medicines” (Gulf Times, August 3), supporting their sales in Qatar, one must realise that there are conflicting claims about their effectiveness. Many experts believe they only have a  placebo effect.
Homeopathy is based on the idea that “like cures like,” meaning that diseases can be treated with substances that would produce symptoms in healthy people that are similar to the symptoms of the disease.
Supporters of the practice  believe that the substances used in treatments should be diluted, because lower doses of a treatment are actually more potent. But this means that many homeopathic remedies are diluted so much that not a single molecule from the original “active” substance would remain, according to many experts.
“As such, any ideas that homeopathic treatments could actually work to treat sick people ‘fly in the face of science’,” a report quoted  Dr Edzard Ernst, an emeritus professor at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, who studies complementary medicine, as saying recently.
Dr Ernst also says that most reviews of the randomised controlled trial evidence have “failed to show that homeopathy is effective”.
Still one must admit that there are a number of people who swear by their effectiveness.
This means homeopathy needs more in-depth studies and tests.

SP, (Full name and address supplied)

Wasting money on propaganda

Dear Sir,

A number of states in India are severely affected by floods for the last few days. More than 200 people have died so far. The worst-affected states are West Bengal, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Thousands of people have left their homes and many farmers have lost their crops.
But both central and state governments seem busy in fighting with the opposition in parliament and assemblies and whatever little time they have left, they are using that to publicise their “achievements” through advertisements in TV channels and newspapers.
Aam Admi Party’s Delhi government, for instance, is reported to have decided to hike its publicity budget from Rs240mn to Rs5.26bn within a  short time after coming to power.
But the BJP government at the Centre is one step ahead in the publicity race. It has already spent several millions of rupees on propaganda in the name of campaigns like “Clean India” and “Clean Ganga”.
All state authorities in India must stop wasting money on propaganda and publicity immediately and use it for flood relief work.
When the people of India are under water what purpose will  a “Clean River Ganga” campaign serve!

Masud Hasan, (e-mail address supplied)

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