Dr Diwan Harish Chand: 7th March 1924–13th December 2011

Dr Diwan Harish Chand was one of India’s leading homeopaths, honorary physician to the Presidents of India from 1969 to 1997 and a Member and later a Fellow of the Faculty of Homeopathy since 1946.

Diwan Harish Chand was born on 7th March 1924 at Lahore (Punjab), the son of Dr Diwan Jai Chand, a distinguished homeopath. He graduated in medicine (M.B.B.S.) in 1945 and spent more than 60 years in the study and practice of homeopathy. He acquired the highest qualifications in homeopathy and in general medicine. He had wide clinical experience and studied at the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital in the 1950’s, and with Dr Pierre Schmidt in Switzerland. He was actively involved in teaching programmes and lectures in many countries for over 50 years. His son, Dr Vijay Chand is also a leading homeopathic physician.

Internationally, Dr Chand was known as the face of Indian homeopathy. He was the first Asian President of Liga Medicorum Homoeopathica Internationalis (LMHI), and for many years Indian vice-president of the LMHI. Less than 2 weeks before his death, on 1st December 2011, the title of “President of Honour” was conferred on him at the 66th LMHI Congress at New Delhi, presented by Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

He had received numerous other National and International diplomas and fellowships. This includes the most prestigious Indian award in medicine, the Dhanvantari award for ‘the most outstanding medical man of the year’, the first homeopath to receive it. On 24th April 2011 Dr AK Walia, Honorable Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Delhi conferred on him the Homoeo Rattan Award, for his contribution to the cause of homeopathy.

Among the many books, he wrote of co-authored are: ‘Compendium of Lectures on Homoepathy, ‘Microdoses Megaresults’ ‘Homoeopathy in Geriatrics’, (with Dr Pierre Schmidt), ‘Kent’s Final General Repertory’, ‘Iconography of Hahnemann’, ‘History of Homoeopathy in India in the 19th Century’, ‘Sir John Weir: A legend in Homoeopathy’ and, released at the LMHI Congress 2011, ‘History of Medicine – The Contribution of homoeopathy’ with Dr Pritha Mehra.

He had been a member of nearly every Indian official committee on homeopathy over last 50 years and chairman of committees on research, education and pharmacopeias. He was actively involved in social service through the Rotary club of Delhi; in civil defence; AIDs Awareness and Family Welfare programmes. Besides all these activities he was a sportsman, keen photographer and philatelist.

Dr Diwan Harish Chand’s demise is great loss. His writings will live with us and he will always be remembered for all the great things he has done for our wonderful healing art.