Kolkata: A team from Columbia University visited city-based Prasanta Banerji Homeopathy Research Foundation (PBHRF) for a possible research collaboration and exchange of medical expertise in the field of paediatric oncology.

A five-member team from the university's Integrative Therapies Programme for Children with Cancer visited the PBHRF on Saturday, and studied the entire therapeutic method, Banerji Protocol, a new method of treatment under which specific medicines are prescribed for specific diseases after being diagnosed by modern methods of homeopathic treatment, unlike classical homeopathy.

'They have come to see our work and how we treat patients. They have spent their entire day at the PBHRF and met over 30 patients of paediatric oncology. We are planning for research collaboration with the paediatric division of Columbia University's Integrative Therapies Programme for Children with Cancer in the days to come,' co-founder and deputy managing trustee of PBHRF Pratip Banerji told IANS.

The US team was led by Elena Ladas and Kara Kelly, the university's medical director of the Integrative Therapies Programme for Children with Cancer.

'I hope it would enhance our exposure, disseminating specific methods of Banerji Protocol worldwide,' the noted Kolkata-based homeopath said.

'We are really very interested in practising traditional treatment of paediatric oncology with Banerji Protocol. We have studied their methods and would share our findings with our colleagues in the Columbia University, USA,' Kara Kelly told IANS.

'We are very open to go for a tie-up as there's no side effect of this particular homeopathic treatment. This can be scientifically used globally,' she said.

'Banerji Protocol is already very well-known internationally and we heard many patients are improving taking Banerji's medical techniques. We are aware of different types of therapies and we specifically want to understand more about paediatric cancer,' Kelly said, adding that now they are trying to mingle traditional practice with alternative medicines in the diagnosis of paediatric cancer.

Prasanta Banerjee, who has been appointed as honorary adviser to the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, is also on the programme advisory committee (PAC) for the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP). IANS