TROJAN HORSE SET TO STAMPEDE HOMEOPATHS IN ONTARIO

[Guest guest]

Trojan horse set to stampede homeopaths in Ontario, Canada

Canadian homeopaths, like homeopaths in the UK and other parts of the

world, are increasingly feeling the heat. Dr Verkerk from the ANH is

working alongside Canadian homeopaths to help protect their future.

 

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Ottawa, April 18, 2007

 

[if you are in receipt of this release, and care about the future of

homeopathy in Canada, please forward it immediately to others who may

have similar concerns or

interests]

 

 

Ontario homeopaths and healthcare activists from around the world met

at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Saturday, April 14th to

discuss the Bill 171, the Health Systems Act which - if it becomes

law - will regulate and control the homeopathic practitioners in the

province.

 

The meeting, organized by Ontario homeopath Barbara Etcovitch, CCH,

RCSHom and Marilyn Nelson, founder of Freedom in Canadian Health

Care, addressed the long-range ramifications of the legislation and

explored the avenues through which to best protect both the

practitioners and the public.

 

The consensus at the meeting was that the Bill should never come into

existence as it lacks two important criteria, consensus within the

profession and the possible risk of harm. These are factors that must

exist before legislation is attempted, yet the Bill has already had

its second reading in Parliament. The Bill has progressed unaltered

despite intensive lobbying of the Health Practitioners Regulatory

Advisory Council (HPRAC) by homeopaths and others concerned about the

future of non-pharmaceutical healthcare.

 

At the meeting, Scott Tips JD, Food and Drug Attorney and President

of the US-based National Health Federation, explained that " the so-

called Health Systems Act (Bill 171) is being posted as the solution

to a problem that does not exist. Under this Bill, homeopathy, a

health practice which helps restore balance within the body without

side-effects or dangers, would be subject to increasingly expensive

and needless regulation, expenses which will be pushed onto the

patients. The Bill also suffers from major procedural defects;

firstly, that a mandatory consensus within the profession must exist

but has not been found and, secondly, that there has not been any

showing of harm to justify this legislation. "

 

Even more alarming is the fact that Bill 171 echoes legislation to

restrict or eradicate alternative forms of medicine in other parts of

the world.

 

Robert Verkerk PhD, Executive and Scientific Director of the Alliance

of Natural Health, another participant in the Toronto meeting,

explained that " homeopathy is under attack around the world. In the

UK, for example, over the past six months, the orthodox medical

profession has made several targeted attacks on homeopathy and is now

threatening the oldest homeopathic hospital in the world, the Royal

London Hospital of Homeopathy. Further, the public across the

European Union has also been affected because the European Commission

regulated homeopathic medicines under EU medicinal law in 2004 and as

the member states began to embrace the law, prices to the consumer

have escalated while the range of remedies have become increasingly

restricted. Medicinal law is ultimately damaging to homeopathy and

my view is that Bill 171 should be rejected vigorously by all

Canadian homeopaths. "

 

Ms. Etcovitch, raising the alarm to her colleagues in Ontario,

explained that, " homeopaths in Ontario have to carefully consider the

implications of this Bill, not only for their own sakes but for the

welfare of their patients. They need to acquire a global perspective

and examine what is going on in other parts of the world. Some

homeopaths in the province believe that the government's stamp of

approval, through statutory regulation, will " legitimize " the

profession, bring more patients in and entice insurance companies to

provide coverage for homeopathic visits. However, in the light of

what is happening to homeopathy in other countries, they are playing

a dangerous game and may find themselves looking a gift horse in the

mouth. Bill 171 promotes a medical approach to homeopathy and

misinterprets this brilliant and sometimes maligned science. It is

bad enough that medical doctors are being given one-day training

courses and told that they can prescribe homeopathic remedies. We

can't allow a Bill into law that will dilute our profession in

another way. "

 

The Standing Committee on Social Policy, empowered to consider Bill

171 on behalf of the Canadian government, is accepting written

submissions about the Bill until 5:00 pm on Tuesday, April 24, 2007.

Ms. Etcovitch has indicated she will consider any comments about the

Bill for inclusion in her own submission, which is also receiving

input from Mr. Tips of the National Health Federation and Dr Verkerk

of the Alliance for Natural Health.

 

For additional information contact, Barbara Etcovitch +1 (613) 248-

9885 info

 

20-Apr-07