Blend of Indigenous Medical Practices and Modern Science
Ishnala Samarasinghe
Ayurvedic medicine, that ancient and revered science of healing the sick, may have way to the more sophisticated methods of modem medicine in western countries, but “in Sri Lanka this trusted form of treatment that kept civilizations healthy and thriving for centuries is still very much alive. As a matter of fact, ayurvedic medicine, the indigenous medical practice born and bred in Lanka, has since late risen to a new high, with modem sciences paying tribute to the practice as a viable, sound, tested and effective alternative to western medication.
The Siddhalepa Ayurvedic Hospital in Ratmalana (located 7 miles south of Colombo) is one such place that has added new meaning to a process of healing which is as old as life itself. Here is a perfect blend of state of-the-art medical technology united with age-old principles of curing the sick, existing under one roof giving much hope, health and relief to the ailing. Ayurveda, or the science of life, is an all-round treatment that looks beyond the patient’s immediate ailment and its immediate symptoms. Ayurveda reaches deeper into the physical, mental and psycho-somatic field of the patient, searching for the very roots of the condition and thereby eliminating in once and for all.
Ayurveda is also widely regarded to have found solutions to many an ailment that continue to baffle modem medicines. According to doctors at the Siddhalepa Ayurvedic Hospital, their diagnosis is divided into eight main sections. They are: physical Ayurveda is also widely regarded to have found solutions to many an ailment that continue to baffle modem medicines. According to doctors at the Siddhalepa Ayurvedic Hospital, their diagnosis is divided into eight main sections. They are: physical All the clients at the hospital are not sick people. As the doctors pointed out, ayurveda is also for the healthy – a system of medication that guarantees a long and healthy life. For example, they explained that the Panchakarma, or the five methods, deal with purging the body of its accumulated toxins and unwanted substances, which even healthy people should do occasionally. Panchakarma includes vomitting, purging, inhalation, blood letting and enema, all of which leave you cleaner and fresher. “All this treatment has been very well researched and widely accepted amongst medical circles. Ayurveda’s rate of cure is very satisfactory,” said Dr. R. M. P. Ranwale, a visiting physician at the Siddhalepa Ayurvedic Hospital.
Herbal steam bath (lshnala Samarasinghe)
The hospital maintains the services of six doctors, all of them graduates of the Institute of Indigenous Medicine of the University of Colombo established in 1929), plus the services of visiting doctors specialising in all areas. The hospital has 126 beds, cared for by 48 nurses, and incorporates all the necessary equipment for scientific healing. In addition to machinery for sedation, oileation, herbal baths and chemotherapy, the hospital is equipped with a pathology lab, ECG and X-ray units, combining newer diagnosis methods with ancient treatment methods. There is an OPD and an emergency unit (inclusive of an ambulance) which is capable of handling bums, fractures and snake bites. One of two such hospitals in the country, _ the Siddhalepa Ayurvedic Hospital has air- conditioned and non air- conditioned rooms from Rs. 125 to Rs. 500 per day. Thos interested in finding out more about the Siddhalepa Ayurvedic Hospital may call Dr. Tudor Senadheera, Medical Superintendent .
Ayurvedic treatment
(lshnala Samarasinghe)
