Doctors practising traditional medicine can assist in reducing NCDs – Health Secretary
Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) like cardio-vascular and cerebro-vascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension and cancers have been increasing in Sri Lanka and a large proportion of cases suffering from these NCDs can be prevented if their risk factors are controlled. So the doctors practicing traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha have to play a great role in changing people’s lifestyles, Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Palitha Mahipala said.
The Health Ministry Secretary emphasised this while participating as the chief guest at the ceremony of awarding internship training appointment letters for 204 graduates of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani medicine held at the Navinna Bandaranaike Memorial Ayurveda Research Institute Auditorium, Maharagama on Monday (3).
These Ayurvedic graduates have completed their five-year undergraduate studies from the Indigenous Medicine Faculty of Colombo University, Indigenous Medicine Faculty of Gampaha Wickramarachchi Indigenous Medicine University, Indigenous Medicine Faculty of Jaffna University and Indigenous Medicine Faculty of Eastern University and they will be trained for a period of one year under the full supervision of Ayurvedic specialists and trained and experienced Ayurvedic doctors in 105 Central Government Ayurvedic Hospitals and Provincial Council Ayurvedic Hospitals in the country.
Officers who successfully complete the internship should get registered with the Ayurvedic Medical Council as an Ayurvedic doctor. The Health Ministry will provide an internship training allowance of Rs. 66,750 per month to these trainees. The Health Ministry Secretary said that we should express our gratitude to the Government for allocating an amount of Rs. 400 million for this internship training. He also said that the Finance Ministry has agreed to provide necessary funds for the internship every year.
He also said that the rest of the graduates will be recruited in August this year.
The Secretary said that there are 105 Ayurvedic hospitals in the country and that these graduates will be assigned to those hospitals for internship training and that this training is very essential to get the registration of the Ayurvedic Medical Council and then he said that he will get the opportunity to serve the needy and sick people of the country as an Ayurvedic doctor.
Ayurveda Commissioner General Dr. Dhammika Abeygunawardena, Deputy Commissioner Dr. K. V. Athula, National Institute of Indigenous Medicine’s Director Wimal Chathuranga, Bandaranaike Ayurveda Research Institute’s Director Dr. P. Hewagama and Ayurvedic Medical Council’s Registrar Dr. Ajith Kumar also participated.
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