Dr. Upali Pilapitiya - A traditional healer

HEALTH: Dr. Upali Pilapitiya, the eldest son of a renowned Ayurvedic Physician in Gampola, the late W.H.M. Pilapitiya hails from a family of Ayurvedic physicians. He received his early education at the Gampola Convent and later attended Kingswood College, Kandy - one of the brightest students that Kingswood has produced.

Following family traditions he entered Govt. Ayurvedic College, Colombo and obtained the D.A.M.S. - Diploma in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery - (Hons.) He fared so well in his studies that he was appointed a lecturer in the same institution as soon as he completed his degree.

Dr. Upali Pilapitiya pursued further studies at the Gujarat Ayurvedic University under a Colombo Plan scholarship where he received his Master's Degree and later a Doctorate in Ayurvedic medicine.

This was followed by a string of scholarships and fellowships from the W.H.O., U.N.D.P. and JAICA which enabled him to study Acupuncture and other forms of traditional medicine in countries such as China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Nepal, Yugoslavia and the Czech Republic.

Presidential Award

Dr. Pilapitiya has been conferred with several prestigious awards including the Presidential Award 'Vidyanidhi', (1989) and 'Saharabhisheka Vidya Suri' - a State award.

He also received the 'Vishva Prasadini' award from Mrs. Sirimavo R.D. Bandaranaike when she was Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. Very recently - in September this year - he was awarded a special Letter of Appreciation from the Ayurvedic Society in Toyama, Japan, for introducing the Kshara Sutra technique of the great Indian Healer Susruta as a treatment for Fistula-in-Ano.

That is an interesting story by itself. Twenty-two years ago, in 1984 to be exact, Dr. Pilapitiya had been in training at the Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University under Prof. Namba to study what is termed as Ethno Medicine (Ethnic medicines].

There he had met Prof. Kanji Tasava, the colo-rectal surgeon of the university. There had been a fair number of patients who suffered from chronic fistula infections even at that time, in Japan.

The normal and accepted treatment was surgery which actually treated not the root of the infection but the extended infection at its exit point. With that kind of treatment the incidence of recurrence is fairly high.

Dr. Pilapitiya had then spoken to Prof. Tasava about the Susruta form of treatment (which he had learnt earlier at the Benares Hindu University) of KSHARA SUTRA which actually means a form of treatment with an alkaline dipped thread being introduced to the fissure of the fistula right up to its root.

With the effect of the alkaline (which we call 'kaaram' in Sinhala) the thread slowly reaches the very root of the fistula and gets a firm hold on the nasty culprit which is then pulled out. It might take a week or even a few weeks depending on the oldness of the fistula.

Appreciation

When this process was explained to Prof. Tasava, he had invited Dr. Pilapitiya to try it out on one of his patients. Dr. Pilapitiya's method was extremely successful and this method was later adopted by the Professor himself.

In fact he had trained other surgeons too to use this method of treatment for anal fistula. Thousands of patients were relieved of the nauseating effects of a festering fistula over the last 22 years at that university hospital.

As a mark of their deep appreciation of Dr. Pilapitiya's pioneering method (to Japan) he was invited to Toyama in September this year and on the 23rd of the same month he was felicitated as described above.

When I came to know about this 22-year-old episode from Dr. Pilapitiya from whom I have also taken treatment for a post surgery stricture of the colon, which he treated very successfully with a mixture and some Guli, I thought it might be useful to at least some of my readers with fistula and similar problems to become aware of this alternative form of treatment.

In fact even here he has successfully treated many such patients at his Ayurvedic Research and Health Centre at Kesbewa, Piliyandala and his other clinic at Moratuwa.

Dr. Pilapitiya is also an expert on what we calls 'kedum bindum' (dislocation of limbs etc.) The beds at his modest Health Centre at Kesbewa are almost always full with men and women for 'vidum-pilissum' treatment - puncturing and heat therapy at Pressure Points, called 'Nila' for such dislocations and also for problems related to rheumatic and arthritic ailments.

I have met and spoken to several such patients when I used to visit the place for my own problems. In fact Dr. Pilapitiya combines Ayurvedic treatment with Acupuncture and Oil Massage - a very effective form of treatment.

Infectious humour

Dr. Upali Pilapitiya has treated at least two Presidents of this country, a Prime Minister, A Speaker of the House Representatives and many of our political brethren. He recounts two such instances interspersed with his own kind of infectious humour.

The one involved J.R. Jayewardene when he was President. He had developed an incurable hiccup. He had tried all kinds of Western treatment for the ailment without any relief.

In fact some of the doctors had suggested surgery as a last resort for which Mr. J did not agree. Finally Dr. Pilapitiya was summoned. Mr. Menikdiwela, the President's personal secretary had come to Kesbewa and fetched him personally. Having learnt about the problem from Mr. M, Dr. Pilapitiya had gone to Queen's House well prepared.

Hiccups

When the Doctor arrived, the President was still in his hiccups holding on to a door post. Dr. Pilapitiya made a medicine that had to be mixed with bees' honey and applied it on the tongue intermittently. That cured the President and he was very grateful to the Doctor.

The other incident involved our poet-writer-philosopher - and Speaker par excellence W.J.M. Lokubandara. He too was afflicted with an incurable hiccup - unfortunately for him not here in home ground but in Indonesia.

He had to deliver a very important speech too the very next day and he was in a state of confusion. He had telephoned Dr. Pilapitiya and asked for some remedial measure. "Can you manage to find a peacock feather ?" was the first question by the good Doctor.

'Vijamu' must have thought the man was joking. "Kohenda bung mang mehe monara pil hoyanne?" (Where the hell can I find peacock feathers here, you..) was his response in pithy Sinhala.

"Why Sir, send someone to a Kovil and you will get plenty of the stuff." Replied a laughing Doctor Pilapitiya.

Raw material

Somehow the raw material was found and according to the Doctor's instructions, a medicine was made and applied. Our man 'Vijamu' got cured and he was able to keep that appointment for the lecture !

Dr. Pilapitiya is a fine teller of stories. He recounts many such stories with such glee that sometimes I find I am taking too much of his time, and I remind him about it. "What nonsense !" says he.

"I relate these stories to my other patients too so that they will have a good laugh. Laughter as you know, is a good medicine by itself." And he goes on to the next patient.

Dr. Pilapitiyta was a member of the Expert Advisory panel of traditional medicine of W.H.O. and a consultant to the A.D.B. on the same subject.

According to him the highest professional recognition conferred on him was when he was appointed as the Director of the Bandaranaike Memorial Ayurvedic Research Institute at Navinna and once again when he was appointed the Director of the Institute of Indigenous Medicine of the University of Colombo. Later he was also appointed as Secretary of the particular ministry.

Keen gardener

After his retirement from Govt. service he continues his specialist medical practice at his own Ayurvedic Research and Health Resort at Piliyandala and at his Tuesday to Friday morning (from 11 a.m.) clinic at Katubedda, Moratuwa.

He manufactures his own Ayurvedic drugs such as mixtures, guli, kalka, oils etc. to the best of standards.

Dr. Pilapitiya is a keen gardener and could be seen pottering around his extensive garden at his Kesbewa residence as early as 6 a.m. every day.

He is a great 'Rasikaya' of music and dance. In fact the great Panibharata himself had held a complete 'Kohomba Kankariya' on his grounds as a mark of appreciation for curing the Master of a dislocated limb. Many of our singers, dancers, musicians, actors and actresses are not only his patients but his close friends.

He is ably helped by his wife Mallika Pilapitiya, an Ayurvedic Physician herself. His children - daughter Shiromi and son Senaka are also M.B.B.S. qualified doctors who are now studying the intricacies of Ayurvedic Medicine and treatment in order to keep alive a tradition that has spanned several generations.

Thought of the week

It is with great sadness in my heart that I am compelled to write these few lines. Let us not hide behind words and assurances and all solemn declarations that everything is okay or will be okay and that the enemy is at bay.

Starting from Kebithigollewa in recent times, it is only too clear that the enemy is spreading its terror tentacles every where.

At this rate nobody will be safe. Although the valiant Army Commander and the brave Secretary of Defence were spared due to the utmost vigilance of their security, the price that service personnel themselves and the innocent public have to pay, again and again, is far too much for the conscience of the country to bear.

Let us not deceive ourselves. The best of our men - leaders such as Ranasinghe Premadasa, Gamini Dissanayake, Lalith Athulathmudali, Ranjan Wijeratne, Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Neelan Thirchelvam, Lakshman Kadirgamar, Parami Kulatunga and a host of such brilliant sons of Lanka have been brutally done away with by the hand of terror.

International Community

It is easy for the 'Co-chairs', the 'International Community' and other well-cushioned, well secured people to preach 'Bana' to us. It is we, the innocent men, women and children of this country that have to bear the brunt of all this inhuman cruelty.

Meaningful steps will have to be taken now and right now without dilly-dallying to stop this menace before more of our future leaders too are killed and the nation will be rudderless.

To begin with it will be a good thing to watch the activities of the infamous, 'gravy train' NGOs carefully and ban them if they are working for the detriment of the country and stop all the ugly tamashas that the affluent and non-caring men and women indulge in - at least as a measure of decency.

We should take the war times of Winston Churchill as an example.

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