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by Shanika Sriyananda Liyanage

The Sri Lanka Independent Medical Practitioners' Association (SLIMPA) (Ayurveda) has requested the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Welfare to re-name the Ministry and to give prominence to the indigenous medicine. Indigenous medicine has a great demand in the West and local indigenous medicine is in demand there.

The Association also requested the Minister to consult the Ayurvedic doctors and lecturers of the three Ayurvedic Universities before implementing development programs in ayurveda.

Dr. Jayasiri Mendis, Advisor to the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine, said that a separate Ministry for the Indigenous Medicine sector was introduced by the late Minister Dharamasena Attygalle in 1967. "It was there upto 2001 but now there was no separate Ministry for this sector", he said.

According to Ministry data there are over 20,000 registered ayurveda doctors and over 80,000 non-registered doctors including very famous ayurveda doctors. By No 39 of the Ayurveda Act of 1961, a licence scheme for the ayurveda medical practitioners was introduced for the first time.

"Still 50 percent of the villagers seek treatment from 'Veda Mahaththaya' not only for minor illnesses but also for some of the very complicated illnesses", Dr. Mendis said. According to Dr. Mendis, 75 percent of the tourists seek ayurveda treatment and now each and every hotel maintain an ayurveda unit. " But, a recent survey carried out islanwide by the Ministry has found that out of 40 hotels which have ayurdeva units, only three hotels are practising the correct ayurvedic methods", he added.

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