The Homoeopathic Community Health Centre at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Ritson campus in Durban has been offering free consultations and treatment this week, in celebration of World Homoeopathy Week. The offer started on Monday, 07 April and concludes on Friday, 11 April 2025. DUT staff, students and members of the public are encouraged to take advantage of this final opportunity to receive professional homoeopathic care at no cost.

Dr Shraddha Sirpal, a Specialist Lab Technician in the Department of Homoeopathy.

According to Dr Shraddha Sirpal, a Specialist Lab Technician in the Department of Homoeopathy, the celebration of World Homeopathy Week at DUT has been phenomenal.

“We have had an influx of messages from the public, students and staff interested in knowing about themselves because that is what we are promoting. People must get to know themselves, know their numbers, know their blood pressure, know their heart and weight. It’s important for people to know their urinalysis because that will tell them how they are eating, how they are living and what they need to focus on, to be better versions of themselves,” said Dr Sirpal.

She revealed that homoeopathy does not only focus on curing symptoms, but also looks at alleviating anxiety, assisting with sleep, helping people find the best balance of their lives, so they can work at their optimum level.

“It is important to us as the Department of Homoeopathy to promote healthy living, healthy eating, healthy minds so that when our students qualify and step out into the next platform, they are very able members of society, that can contribute back to the world. Our students are getting the opportunity to serve their community to the best of their ability. They are giving back for all the years that they have studied and we want them to understand that community service is just as important as charging a patient,” reiterated Dr Sirpal.

In addition, she said Dr Samuel Hahnemann, the visionary founder of Homoeopathy gave them a good foundation on how to treat diseases gently without any side effects.

“Homoeopathy is an amazing profession to be in and we are just grateful that more and more people are coming in and understanding what homoeopathy is and how to use it to better their lives. In homoeopathy we use simple and gentle medicine to help the body’s vitality, its immune system in a sense to fight of the disease process that is going on in the body,” explained Dr Sirpal.

A Master’s in Homoeopathy student at DUT, Tertia Vermooten (24) from Howick commended the Department of Homoeopathy for opening its clinic to the public at no cost for a limited period this week. She said that they have seen so many DUT students and members of the public wanting access to homoeopaths and the holistic ways of healing.

Vermooten is currently focusing her Master’s dissertation on the therapeutic value of the effect of the homoeopathy consultation on anxiety patients.

“I chose this topic because at the clinic we were seeing so many anxiety patients coming in, students in particular, stressing not only about academics but about other life problems. So, I wanted to examine our consultations at the DUT Homoeopathy Clinic, because it’s very holistic, it focuses on the physical, mental and emotional symptoms. I wanted to see how our consultations impact our patients,” she added.

DUT Master’s in Homeopathy students, Tertia Vermooten, Abulele Ncapayi, Sanelisiwe Shandu and Kyla Govender are excited to render free consultations to the public.

Sixth year Health Sciences: Homoeopathy students, Naseeha Limalia and Kyla Govender share on their roles as student doctors and clinical trainees at the Department of Homoeopathy at DUT.

“With homoeopathy how we differ from normal medicine is that we provide a form of holistic treatment that has lesser side effects. Whoever the patients are, they are looking for something that is alternative to normal medicine, that is safer, that is more natural, and that’s what we are offering for this World Homoeopathy Open Week,” said Limalia.

Govender further explained the significance homoeopathy saying that Dr Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician was the founder and been instrumental in developing the principles of homeopathy.

“We believe that making this World Homoeopathy Open Week free and giving the patients the opportunity to come by is a way of honouring Dr Hahnemann and honouring our profession and what we stand for,” she indicated.

In terms of ailments they treat, Limalia shared that they see a whole range of patients ranging from the common flu right up to cancer patients.

Pictured: DUT Master’s in Homoeopathy student, Tertia Vermooten examining a patient during the World Homoeopathy Week.
Pictured: DUT Master’s in Homeopathy students, Tertia Vermooten, Abulele Ncapayi, Sanelisiwe Shandu and Kyla Govender are excited to render free consultations to the public.
Pictured: Dr Shraddha Sirpal, a Specialist Lab Technician at the DUT Department of Homoeopathy.

Simangele Zuma/Waheeda Peters