AYURVEDA MEDICAL COUNCIL

This is constituted under section II (I) of Ayurveda Act No. 31 of 1961 as amended by Ayurveda (Amendment) Law No. 7 of 1977. The Act provides for a Council of a maximum of 18 members consisting of ex-officio president of the Council.  The Registrar who also functions as the Secretary to the Council is appointed by the Council itself.

The Ayurvedic Medical Council is the authority responsible for,

(a) recommending to the Minister whether any Ayurvedic teaching Institution should be approved by him for the purpose of the Ayurveda Act,

(b) registration of Ayurveda practitioners, pharmacists and nurses and the cancellation or suspension of such  registration,

 (c) making rules for the  regulation and control of professional conduct of Ayurvedic practitioners, pharmacists and nurses.

The registration of Ayurvedic physicians falls under two broad categories.

1.       Registration of physicians, who possess medical qualifications, laid down in the Act or recognized by the Ayurvedic Medical Council.

2.       Registration of "Paramparika" (traditional) physicians. In order to give an opportunity to physicians who have had no institutional training this scheme of registration was initiated in 1956. The facility is still  available though the original intention was to restrict this  for a  limited period.   

The physicians are registered either as general practitioners or as ‘special' physicians.  The Ayurvedic Medical Council  maintains separate registers for these categories.

A few years ago, there was a scheme for training of Ayurvedic pharmacists by the Department of Ayurveda.  Those who successfully completed the course were registered at the Ayurvedic Medical Council. At present, however, this scheme of training is temporarily suspended.

So far no scheme for training of Ayurvedic nurses has been initiated.  As a result the need for registration of this category has not arisen, though the Act makes provision for it. A committee has been appointed to consider the feasibility of training Ayurvedic nurses. The report has not yet been submitted.

Rules for the regulation of the professional conduct of Ayurvedic physicians have been approved by the Minister of Health and gazetted in June  1971. These rules are reproduced in annex II.

Graduates who obtaine degree from the Indigenous Institute of Medicine,Colombo (IIM) are as follows.

BAMS - Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery

BUMS - Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery  

At present there are two Institutions functioning under the umbrella of Universities – BAMS, BSMS, BUMS are by IIM and University status has been granted already to Wickramarachchi Ayurveda Institute (W.A.I.G) under  the University of Kelaniya.  

Diploma Holders are the Physicians who have obtained Diploma from IIM Colombo and W.A.I at  Gampaha. These Institutions were started in the years of 1926 and 1924 respectively.