Study course on indigenous medicine

Nimal Wijesinghe ANURADHAPURA - Additional district group correspondent

The Ministry of Indigenous Medicine has planned to launch a number of projects in Mihintale to uplift traditional indigenous medicine.

Minister of Indigenous Medicine Tissa Karalliyadde told the Daily News that discussions were held with the Minister of Higher Education to begin a study course of traditional Indigenous Medicine with Mihintale Maithreepala Senanayake Memorial Ayurvedic General Hospital, presently, under construction as its centre.

The academic component of the proposed study courses will be handled by Mihintale Rajarata University.

The Minister explained that the services of veteran traditional indigenous physicians who have been confined their treatments and skills to their native villages due to non-recognition.

Steps would be taken to educate and train local and foreign ayurvedic graduates once the study courses have commenced.

In addition a separate section, to boost the traditional indigenous medicine, will be set up at the Mihintale Ayurvedic hospital where indigenous medical treatments for gout, snake venom, boils, paralysis, catarrh, fractures, diabetics and goitre will be available for local and foreign patients.

“There are miraculous and unsurpassed indigenous medical treatments for such ailments from the time of kings such as king Buddhadasa being preserved by native physicians.

On par with Mahinda Chintana we are going to revive such indigenous medical culture for the generations to come,” Karalliyadde emphasised.