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.