Mission:

INDIGENOUS  MEDICINE IN SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka is a country of rich heritage, one of which is its indigenous system of medicine,which has been practiced by the people since time immemorial. The Ayurveda system of medicine from North India, the Siddha system of medicine  from South India and the Unani system of medicine of Arabs enriched with contributions from the traditional system of medicine called "Desheeya Chikitsa" is popularly known as the Indigenous system of medicine in Sri Lanka.

THE ROLE  OF THE  DEPARTMENT OF AYURVEDA

Towards the latter part of the British rule, owing to heavy pressure from the public a Board of Indigenous Medicine was set up in 1928 for the promotion of Ayurveda system of medicine. This Board with the help of the public, set up an out door dispensary and a teaching institution at Cotta Road, Colombo. The creation of the Board of Indigenous Medicine in 1928 and the passing of Indigenous Medicine Ordinance No 17 of 1941, led to the formation of a fully fledged Department for the development of Indigenous Medicine, which would guide the future destines of the indigenous medical profession.

After the Independence the government took the following steps to develop the indigenous system of medicine.

• Enactment and enforcement of the Ayurveda Act,1961
• Establishment of the Department of Ayurveda
• Opening of Rural Dispensaries under the various local bodies
• Opening of the Bandaranayake Ayurveda Research Institute
• Establishment of Ayurveda Medical Council
• Improvement in the functioning of the Ayurveda College
• Establishment of Ayurveda Educational and hospital Board.
• Setting up of an Ayurveda Research committee
• Opening of Ayurveda Hospital and Dispensaries
• Setting up of an Ayurveda Drug Corporation

The government of Sri Lanka recognized this system as an alternative system of health care by establishing a Department of Ayurveda under the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine. Presently the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine and the department of Ayurveda are responsible for the development of the Indigenous System, including training, registration, research, hospital care and production of Ayurveda drugs.

A well- amalgamated health care operating system, made up of the endemic traditional system and the Ayurvedic system, is in operation to suit the requirements of the people of this land.

In1929, two training institutes for producing doctors in the Ayurveda system of medicine were institutionalized. The syllabi and subject matter of both consisted of Ayurveda and Traditional medicine. Thus at present the country has two sets of Ayurveda physicians, one set trained by their ancestral teachers, physicians and the other institutionally trained cadres, both commanding the respect and veneration of the public. Although the modes of practice followed by these two groups are very similar with respect to the system and principles, there exist considerable difference as to the actual practitioner uses more of Indian-based medicaments, where as traditional physicians use more of traditional therapies taught and trained Ayurveda by their ancestral teachers.

They evolved the following highly developed divisions of traditional medicine and there services are still available to the people.

· Fractures and dislocations;

· Snake-bite poisoning and hydrophobia;

· Eye diseases, sinusitis;

· Neurological diseases;

· Mental diseases;

· Diarrhoea diseases;

· Hepatitis(Kamala)

This Country enjoys the services of 17000 traditional and Ayurveda practitioners, 70 per cent being traditional physicians, trained by their guru (teachers) and who had acquired knowledge through years of experience as well. The remaining 30 percent are institutionally trained, obtaining a Diploma or Degree after undergoing a six year training of traditional medicine on the above mentioned specialties. In addition to the above mentioned course, a three year diploma course is available in the country to train, as physicians, youngsters descending from families whose forefathers were traditional physicians.

The traditional Ayurveda system of medicine by Government policy is recognized as a component of the National Health Service. Indigenous medical practitioners who fan out throughout the country, especially to the remote rural area where the Western medical and health care delivery system does not reach, offer invaluable services to the people. Recent surveys conducted revealed that well over 45 per cent of the entire population seeks Ayurveda and Traditional medical assistance in spite of the mere 1.4 percent of the entire health budget  annually.

The department of Ayurveda manages an intricately woven network of health care delivery outlets throughout the country. The details are as follows:

Sri Lanka is the only country where the Traditional medical fraternity together with the Ayurveda component enjoys the status of a cabinet portfolio in the whole of the South-East Asia region.