The Indigenous medicine system of Sri Lanka is not second to any other advanced medical system in the world, Education Minister Professor G.L. Peiris yesterday (04) said.
Professor Peiris made this observation at the ceremony of re-establishing the Gampaha Wickramarachchi Indigenous Medical College as a University on March 04 under the patronage of the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
“Indigenous medicine in our country is second to none. Indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka is in high demand and it is very popular among foreign countries, especially in the developed countries where there is a developed Western medical system,” Professor Peiris pointed out.
Speaking further Professor Peiris pointed out, “Health is not just about eliminating disease. This concept is the essence of Ayurvedic philosophy. Perfect health means physical as well as mental well-being. We must look at this indigenous medicine with a free mind. We must study it consciously and we should view it with pride. It should not be viewed negatively. Therefore, I believe the 16th University in our country will soon be able to rise to the top nationally as well as internationally.”
Professor Peiris observed, “Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl was in our country at the time of the tsunami disaster. He had great respect for the indigenous medical system of our country.
That is why he also donated a large sum of money to our country. I also met K. Shanmugam, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and the current Minister of the Home Affairs in Singapore, at the Wadduwa Indigenous Medical Hotel. He often comes there for treatment, stress relief, meditation and so on.
These VIPs strongly believe in and respect the indigenous medical system of our country.
It is worth wondering whether we as citizens have much respect for our medical heritage. We must understand that our medical system has a great deal of international recognition. Let us study its quality with evidence and facts.”
Professor Peiris also said, “If we are proud of the strength of our Sri Lankan culture and indigenous medical system, we can give the benefits of this legacy to the world. This university will be an institution that will impart pure knowledge of Indigenous medicine to future generations. It will soon become a university which we can speak with pride. We know that even in this pandemic situation the support of indigenous medicine was crucial to keep our people healthy. Today, the COVID-19 death rate in the country is 0.5% of the total number of infected people. In the UK, Brazil, Russia and the United States it is many times more. They are countries where medicine is far more advanced than here. We should not look at everything negatively. At present 622,000 of our students are sitting for the GCE Ordinary Level Examination. Examinations will be held at 4,513 centers. It is to be concluded by March 10. After that schools will be reopened in the country. So what advice do we give when it comes to schools? That advice is entirely based on the Ayurvedic philosophy. The importance of social distancing. The importance of hand washing. The value of disinfectant use. For this our Ministry has sent Rs. 50 million worth of equipment.”
“There are steps we need to take beyond such preventive measures. We must educate children to lead a holistic lifestyle and to live their lives close to nature. The Ayurvedic system also contains a wealth of valuable experience in coping with mental stress,” Professor Peiris added.
