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, warning that many are also illegally issuing registration numbers to graduates. 

It said that providing registration numbers to the pass-outs is totally illegal, considering that the Council is the only authorised body to do so.

According to the council, a number of such institutions, most of which allegedly mushroomed 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 take immediate action against these establishments.

The council has written to Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal, seeking intervention and requesting the administration to initiate a crackdown on the unauthorised institutes. A council insider said it recently came across a “chain of homeopathic and biochemistry colleges” based in the Cooch Behar district in North Bengal running without approval. Other districts where such institutes have reportedly proliferated include North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and West Midnapore, among others.

The council expressed particular concern over reports that some of these institutes have issued registration numbers to their graduates despite having no legal authority to do so. It alleged that in several cases, such numbers were duplicates of registration numbers already assigned 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 the public to verify the credentials of practitioners through the "homeopathic practitioners list" available on the Council of Homeopathic Medicine's website. Patients can check the authenticity of a practitioner by entering the registration number mentioned on the prescription.