President of the Government Ayurvedic Doctors’ Association of the North Western Province, Senior Ayurvedic Dr. H.A. Jayasena Bandara said that the number of patients who seek ayurvedic treatment in this country has gone up by 300 percent.
The Ministry of Indigenous Medicine has to speed up its development programs countrywide on a large scale to train educated youth professionally on this ancient treatment method and to popularise ayurvedic products among the people. He was speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the traditional physicians of the Kurunegala district at the Bingiriya ancient Buddhist temple in Kurunegala on Thursday. Dr. Bandara said, “There is a positive trend at present for ayurvedic treatment system in Sri Lanka, since most patients are now compelled to seek ayurvedic treatment as there is a shortage of western drugs in Government hospitals.”
He said even today, the Government spends around Rs. 9,800 million annually to import ayurvedic raw materials to manufacture ayurvedic products for people in Sri Lanka. More medicinal herb gardens can be set up on unused lands belonging to temples to obtain raw materials that are needed to prepare decoctions and different types of syrups for children and adults. Most of the imported ayurvedic raw materials can be grown easily in Sri Lanka, if a proper system is implemented. This would undoubtedly create nearly 45,000 direct and indirect job opportunities for unemployed youngsters. Sri Lanka can also earn around Rs. 99,000 million annually by exporting quality ayurvedic products to the Middle East and European countries, he said. No allergies have been reported by using ayurvedic drugs. The ayurvedic treatment system was originated in India about 5,000 years ago. Even Gauthama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism , kings and queens of India and Sri Lanka many centuries ago had used ayuvedic drugs, Dr. Bandara said.
Dr. Bandara said many foreign tourists who visit Sri Lanka still go for ayurvedic drugs and hence, the Government should consider the massive potential of this sector to earn dollars.
He said equal consideration and status should be given by the Government to Western and ayurvedic doctors who pass out from the Wickramarachchi University of Ayurvedic Medicine of Sri Lanka, but unfortunately it is not so at present. The attitude of Sri Lankans over the efficacy of ayurvedic treatment has to be changed as many people hold lukewarm views on this invaluable treatment system due to ignorance.