Project to cultivate all medicinal herbs locally

M.A.R. Manukulasooriya, Hiriyala group corr.

Sri Lanka spends nearly Rs. 200 million to import 44 kinds of ayurvedic medicines from India every year. A recent survey conducted by the Indigenous Medicine Ministry has revealed that medicinal herbs required to prepare 37 kinds of these Ayurvedic medicines could be cultivated in the country.

The target is to cultivate all kinds of medicinal plants in the country and to stop the import of ayurvedic medicines by the end of this year," Indigenous Medicine Minister Tissa Karalliyadda said. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of a herbarium at Peela village in the Yapahuwa electorate.

The Minister said knowledge of Ayurveda should be given to the younger generation. "They are not aware of the medicinal value of the herbs in their gardens. In ancient times the people joined the king in setting up herbal gardens, but today there are people who cannot even identify a common medicinal plant. Most medicinal plants are rich in medicinal value.

Our native treatment is not second to any Western treatment," he added. The Minister said several steps had been taken by the Indigenous Medicine Ministry to uplift and popularise native treatment.

"We have already set up herbariums at Girandurukotte, Haldummulla and Pattipola areas. Several rare kinds of medicinal herbs have been cultivated in these herbariums. Through research we produced medicines for many diseases.

A research is being carried out to find a treatment for AIDS too. Highways Minister T.B. Ekanayake said more youth should be encouraged to learn Ayurveda. "They should be provided scientific knowledge in this subject to bring Ayurveda to international level," he added.

Ministry Project Director Nalin Attanayake, Secretary to the Provincial Ministry of Indigenous Medicine E.A.H. Karunaratna and Provincial Councillor (NWP) Ananda Chandralal also spoke.