About Provincial Department of Ayurveda - Central Province, Sri Lanka
The term ‘Ayurveda’ is referred to different Traditional Medicines- TRM exists in the country. It refers to the Ayurvedic system of medicine from North India, the Siddha system of medicine from South India and the Unani system of medicine of Arabs enriched with contributions from the traditional system of medicine called "Desheeya Chikitsa" is popularly known as the Indigenous system of medicine. Existing system of TRM in Sri Lanka does not exclusively represent the indigenous identity of a Sri Lankan system.
It is mostly influenced by Indian system of Ayurveda and evolved through Asian roots of TRM. It was similarly exposed to all religious, trade, political missions throughout the history like any other national cultural tradition. TRM is a holistic health care system in Sri Lanka with an exclusive health belief system and positive stream of social behaviour based on the culturally honoured, ethno-centric, patient-oriented, humanistic, value-based professionalism. The national health care system in Sri Lanka was officially recognized after the first Allopathic hospital implanted by Portuguese.
The Ayurveda Act No. 31 of 1961 institutionalized the TRM system, and it had been gradually subject to ‘Ayurvedization’ and indigenous identity was getting merged in Indian context. Once the Ayurveda education system was institutionalized it reconstituted in biomedical model. Graduate practitioners rather relied on Western medicine and began to establish a "mixed" or "hybrid" system in Ayurvedic TRM. It was not a desirable to Allopathic practitioners and highly criticized by TRM purist front which led to a double burden issue in TRM sector. It was 1980's the most significant evocation taken place with a separate Ministry for Indigenous Medicine (IM) and some of the outcomes are still sustained in the sector. Currently there is a full pledged cabinet Ministry for IM but detached from mainstream National Health System.
Proving that its holistic approach to treatments, effectiveness in the herbal treatments and the patient care have made TRM survived its times, the provincial authorities of TRM also highlighted the successful treatments on diabetics introduced by the TRM doctors in Southern Province. They requested to promote such specialized areas through the clinics to give the benefit to the people.
We are actively developing preventive care methodologies and techniques as Preventive Care directly influences the public well-being
We provide high quality curative care services to children, adults and seniors in Central Province who suffer from curable diseases
We produce most of the Ayurvedic drugs we use in our Hospitals and Central Dispensaries to ensure the quality and the potency of them
The Department of Ayurveda