No, we are not joking.
The Madhya Pradesh government will now have special astrology OPD (out-patient department) where astrologers will provide consultation for the patients.
According to The New Indian Express, these astrologers will be available for 3-4 hours a week to advise patients according to their horoscopes and ‘lifelines.’
The staff will comprise qualified soothsayers under the aegis of the Maharashi Patanjali Sanskrit Sansthan (MPSS), a state government institution in Bhopal.
For patients who want to seek astrological diagnosis, a registration fee of Rs 5 will be charged.
The OPD will be operational September onwards at the Yoga Center building situated close to the Red Cross building in Bhopal.
“We are giving it the name of astro-OPD and in no way will it be any kind of medical OPD to be operated at hospital,” MPSS director PR Tiwari told The New Indian Express.
Moreover, like OPDs, where junior doctors work under the supervision of their seniors, these astrologers will also train junior astrologers.
“The students in these diploma courses will not only act as assistants to qualified astrologers in the OPD, but will also get hands-on training in devising astro-based solutions for different problems in the manner junior doctors get from senior specialists in regular medical OPDs,” said Tiwari.
India Today reports, that the move is taken to produce a pool of qualified astrologers and to establish astrology as “calculative science and not a hunch.”
(Feature image source: Reuters)