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| Sunday, 24 April 2005 |
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Rs. 100m for 'Hela Veda Gedara' by Chanuka Mannapperuma The Ministry of Indigenous Medicine will launch a five year comprehensive program to boost the indigenous medicine sector which is now gaining wider global recognition. The proposed program is consisting of three strategies namely re-introducing the "Hela Veda Gedara" (Indigenous Medical House) concept, community based health service and expanding the cultivation of herbal plants. Already, the Government has allocated Rs 100 from the 2005 budget for this purpose. This program has been conceived by Indigenous Medicine Minister Tissa Karaliyadda who plans to strengthen the position of indigenous medical practitioners. Under the 'Hela Veda Gedara' concept, the Ministry plans to build small wards in the residential premises of selected veteran and renown ayurvedic physicians. These wards will consist of eight beds, two toilets and an ayurvedic stock room. Already, the Ministry has built four such houses in Rajanganaya, Vavuniya and Medawachchiya spending Rs 400,000 for each house. "This would greatly help critical patients seeking treatment from indigenous medical practitioners and also boost the treatment capacity of the physicians as they would be able to cater to those who come from rural areas and as well as foreigners who come to Sri Lanka, seeking ayurvedic treatment" a Ministry spokesman said. The program also seeks to cultivate herbal plants in the country."This would cut down the cost incurred on importing such herbal plants from India.Already, this cultivation program is being implemented in Hambantota and Anuradhapura," a spokesman added. Under this, farmers are encouraged and will be given incentives to grow herbal and ayurvedic plants on their own lands. "The Auyrvedic Drugs Corporation is ready to purchase cultivated plants for manufacturing," he further said. Under the community based health service, a team of health workers will be assigned to each Provincial Council and they will serve under the supervision of an ayurvedic physician. Under this program the health workers will visit each house in the area and extend help to the people by using ayurvedic methods.At the moment, this program is implemented in the Anuradhapura district. |
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