News
Top Ayurveda physician in UK welcomes SL’s move to use native medicine to treat Covid-19 patients
by Sujeeva Nivunhella in London
Well-known Ayurveda physician, Shantha Godagama, who founded the Ayurvedic Medical Association and College of Ayurveda in the UK over 30 years ago, welcomed Sri Lanka’s decision to introduce Ayurveda products to General Hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients.
“As a founder patron of the British Ayurvedic Medical Council and a member of the herbal medicine advisory committee in the UK, I am happy over this move, which could bring recognition to Sri Lanka”, he noted.
“After long and exhaustive collective negotiations by herbal practitioners 15 years ago, the European Union made a landmark ruling that any herbal preparation, which had successfully treated medical conditions for over 15 years in Europe and 30 years outside Europe, provides sufficient evidence of the efficacy of the drugs”, he recalled.
Godagama said the British Government set up the first-ever herbal medicines advisory committee of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority in the UK following the EU ruling.
“As a result, we have now licenced around 500 Ayurveda products, which are available in pharmacies in the UK, either on self- prescribing or practitioner prescribing”, he said.
Practitioner prescribing means these herbal products can be prescribed by western or ayurvedic doctors”, he elaborated.
“It is time for Sri Lankan doctors practicing western medicine to learn about prescribing the drugs from the UK. I believe there won’t be an issue with the medical council when it comes to cooperation and collaboration with herbal practitioners as we work together in harmony”, Godagama asserted.
“With the patient’s permission, we often send a written report on prescribed herbs to western doctors. In the event, a doctor or a herbal practitioner notices any unexpected side effects, we inform the authorities through the government yellow card scheme. I must say after completion of MBBS degrees, there are many students who enroll themselves to study ayurveda”, he continued.
“If the aim is to treat and cure patients, we must also study other systems of healing. There is a well-known saying here that if a doctor has no pen and paper, then he’s useless”, Godagama added.
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 01 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 11 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan of Kareinagar, Jaffna.
The Northern Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, naval craft of the Northern Naval Command were deployed to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters off Kovilan.
Meanwhile, compliant boarding made by naval personnel resulted in the seizure of one Indian fishing boat and apprehension of 11 Indian fishermen who continued to engage in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.
The seized boat (01) and Indian fishermen (11) were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
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Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
Members of all ranks from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force have collectively donated a day’s basic salary to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Accordingly, the total contribution made by the Tri-Forces amounts to LKR. 372,776,918.28.
The cheques representing the financial contributions were handed over on Wednesday (31 December) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
The donations comprised LKR. 250 million from the Commander of the Army, Major General Lasantha Rodrigo; LKR. 73,963,879.71 from the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and LKR. 48,813,038.97 from the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.
Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, was also present on the occasion.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has submitted a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) seeking an 11.57 percent increase in electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026, citing an estimated revenue shortfall and additional financial pressures, including cyclone-related damages.
According to documents issued by the PUCSL, the proposed tariff revision would apply to electricity consumption from January to March 2026 and includes changes to both energy charges and fixed monthly charges across all consumer categories, including domestic, religious, industrial, commercial and other users.
Under the proposal, domestic electricity consumers would face increases in unit rates as well as fixed monthly charges across all consumption blocks.
The CEB has estimated a deficit of Rs. 13,094 million for the first quarter of 2026, which it says necessitates the proposed 11.57 per cent tariff hike. The utility has noted that any deviation from this estimate whether a surplus or a shortfall will be adjusted through the Bulk Supply Tariff Adjustment (BSTA) mechanism and taken into account in the next tariff revision.
In its submission, the CEB said the proposed revision is aimed at ensuring the financial and operational stability of the power sector and mitigating potential risks to the reliability of electricity supply. The board-approved tariff structure for the first quarter of 2026 has been submitted to the PUCSL for approval and subsequent implementation, as outlined in Annex II of the proposal.
The CEB has also highlighted the financial impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which it said caused extensive damage to electricity infrastructure, with total losses estimated at around Rs. 20 billion. Of this amount, Rs. 7,016.52 million has been attributed to the first quarter of 2026, which the utility said has a direct bearing on electricity tariffs.
The CEB warned that if external funding is not secured to cover the cyclone-related expenditure, the costs incurred would need to be recovered through electricity tariffs in the second-quarter revision of 2026.
Meanwhile, the PUCSL has said that a decision on whether to approve the proposed tariff increase will be made only after following due regulatory procedures and holding discussions on the matter.
By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️
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