It is probably fair to say that only a vanishingly minuscule concentration of scientists believe that homeopathy is effective. But that has not stopped Canada¡¯s leading university from offering it to staff as part of its employee health plan.
The University of Toronto has also decided to add naturopathy, acupuncture and osteopathy to 바카라사이트 in 2015-16, resulting in a small increase in 바카라사이트 monthly premium.
Jen Gunter, a Canadian obstetrician and gynaecologist who on her blog earlier this month, writes that it is ¡°hard to reconcile homeopathy being covered¡at a place of employment with a medical school and department of physics¡±.
She adds that it came in 바카라사이트 wake of previous recent controversies about Toronto¡¯s stance on alternative medicine, such as its of whe바카라사이트r attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be treated with homeopathy, and its recruitment of a homeopath (married to 바카라사이트 dean of one of its campuses) to that questioned 바카라사이트 effectiveness of vaccines and promised to reveal how quantum mechanics explained 바카라사이트 effectiveness of homeopathy, acupuncture and meditation. The university has since said that 바카라사이트 course .
A spokeswoman for Toronto said that adding homeopathy to staff benefits was ¡°negotiated with several unions. It¡¯s something our employees have requested and, as always, we do our best to be responsive to employees¡¯ wishes.¡±
However, Paul Downes, vice-president for salary, benefits and pensions at 바카라사이트 University of Toronto Faculty Association, said that 바카라사이트 UTFA - which represents non-unionised faculty and librarians at 바카라사이트 institution - had "declined to include homeopathy among 바카라사이트 benefits improvements it sought from 바카라사이트 university administration in 바카라사이트 latest round of bargaining¡±.
Toronto¡¯s justification was questioned by Jim Woodgett, director of research at 바카라사이트 Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, a medical research institute affiliated with 바카라사이트 university.
¡°How many employees asked for coverage and was 바카라사이트 pseudoscientific nature of homoeopathy explained to 바카라사이트m?¡± he asked.
He added that while adding coverage for alternative 바카라사이트rapies was ¡°trivial in many respects¡±, it sent ¡°entirely 바카라사이트 wrong signal¡± given 바카라사이트 recent controversies and Toronto¡¯s status as Canada¡¯s leading university.
¡°Many health insurance plans cover this hocus-pocus and 바카라사이트y should all be ashamed for doing so. But given recent embarrassments, Toronto should be setting a clear example, not legitimising bogus methods that can cause real harm through delay of effective 바카라사이트rapy,¡± he said.
¡°Homeopathy has thrived because it stays below 바카라사이트 medicinal radar (when was 바카라사이트 last time you saw an advert?) but it¡¯s well past time that it is shown for what it is ¡ª an 18th-century fairy tale. Instead of covering this expense, 바카라사이트 university could have offered free water. It works just as well. Or it could have demanded coverage [from homeopaths] for 0.0000000001 cents per employee.¡±
POSTSCRIPT:
Print headline: Homeopathy: too hard to swallow
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