The Sinhala Weda Uruma Baraya, a collective of Sri Lankan professionals and traditional physicians promoting Deshiya Chikitsa (Sinhala Wedakama) as part of Sri Lankan Ayurveda has commenced a pioneering residential Sinhala Wedakam based Covid-19 treatment centre in the country.
The treatment centre which uses the expertise of an island-wide panel of over 25 wedamahattayas/weda nonas is located within the Heritage Eco Resort which is a 4 star hotel located down Jayanthi Mawatha, Peliyagoda, Kelaniya.
The treatment centre at this hotel was launched under the auspices of the State Minister of Indigenous Medicine, Rural and Ayurveda Hospital Development and Community Health in early September and from the launch day alone it registered five in-house patients.
This pioneering initiative in Sri Lanka has already recorded what could be described as remarkable success with the curing of two Covid-19 afflicted persons aged 90 and 95 years.
Allopathy medicine
They had been transferred by their family members from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Allopathy medicine system to the traditional in house system in Kelaniya after the Allopathic system did not work for these patients. One of the close relatives of the 90-year-old patient who took the decision to opt for Sri Lankan Ayurveda/Sinhala Wedakama is a Western medical (Allopathy) doctor.
Giving hope to all Sri Lankans that Sinhala Wedakam (Deshiya Chikitsa)/Sri Lankan Ayurveda can be revived and that this pandemic time may be the best chance to showcase this ancient medical system to the world, the Weda Uruma Baraya initiative is likely to have lasting impact in Sri Lanka regaining its currently ignored roots.
The Covid-19 treating residential facility is open to both Sri Lankans and others.
Among the board of directors of this initiative is Lasantha Prasad Lokupitiya, a veteran environmentalist and business personality who is part of the Sinhala Weda Uruma Baraya. “The idea to start the residential treatment centre was based on the Sinhala Weda Uruma Baraya contemplating about the calamity of Covid-19 patients being sent to Western medicine treating Government hospitals, facing serious bed shortages and other sanitary issues juxtaposed by the counter calamity of private Western medicine treating hospitals charging exorbitant rates per day,” explains Lasantha Lokupitiya.
He said that what the Sinhala Weda Uruma Baraya has initiated is a health and relaxation based endeavor deeply rooted in the ancient medicinal culture of Sri Lanka and located in the heart of the scenic and historic city of Kelaniya.
Allopathy medicine
“This is a four star hotel which has all comforts and the full rate we are charging per day is inclusive of a patient specific traditional diet based on recommendations by the wedamahattayas/weda nonas on our Sri Lankan Ayurveda medical panel. The charges does not exceed Rs. 10,000 per day which includes all per patient specialised traditional medicine treatment costs,’ says Lokupitiya. He said that a totally free facility which will be akin to a Government hospital ward currently followed for Covid-19 will be also provided soon.
“In the current facility those who have contracted the Covid-19 virus will be treated not as patients but as guests receiving an opportunity to rejuvenate themselves and rid themselves of all ailments, not just this particular virus.”
He said that traditional physicians of Sri Lanka do not mystify this flu mimicking virus and see it as a semprathrishaya that weakens the immune system. He said that based on so many case studies in the past two years that traditional physicians of Sri Lanka can handle any complication arising out of this disease.
However, he adds that those who come to get this residential treatment should be those who have faith in the medical heritage of Sri Lanka and not those who doubt it. If they want Western kind of treatment or technology connected with it they can go to Western medicine based hospitals,” he said.
He added that the panel of indigenous doctors have proven within the last week that oxygen levels can be raised through traditional methods alone.
“In Sinhala Wedakama/Sri Lankan Ayurveda, the opportunity to relieve someone of their ailment is considered a Karmic boon. It is keeping this in mind that we decided to retain only an extremely small profit only for the maintaining of the rooms and hotel. We do not add on to the fee of the traditional physicians or keep profit from it.
We have residential Sinhala Wedakam/Sri Lankan Ayurveda doctors (referred to in Sri Lanka as wedamahattayas) and indigenous health experts who visit based on request or health specification,” said Lokupitiya.
Managers
This residential treatment centre has overall managers and a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), collectively providing communication mainly in Sinhala but also in English to cater to all citizens of Sri Lanka and even foreigners.
With regard to Sri Lankan citizens, anyone whether they be Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim or Burgher are welcome. The residential facility is a weda gedera and thereby run under Buddhist traditions and culture. Among the Indigenous medical experts who make up the team of physicians affiliated with the Residential Treatment Centre in Kelaniya include Indigenous Sinhala Wedakam/Sri Lankan Ayurveda Doctor Swarnachandra Hulangamuwa packing more than 40 years of registered practice and with wide scale experience of treating patients who are often regarded as incurable.
She and her son practises the Hulangamuwa tradition indigenous medical treatments. The pair have treated scores of patients of Covid-19 prevention and cure and play a major role at this Covid-19 treatment centre.
Among the other doctors affiliated to the centre is Sri Lankan Ayurveda Doctor Seevali Bandara who has an Ayurveda specialised University Degree. He has advanced qualification in Rasa Wedakama and has done a vast amount of research on this stream in Deshiya Chikitsa/Ayurveda.
Based on specific Wattoru of herbs of Paramparikka Wedakama he has developed an Osu Aushada treatment (Osu pan) after following relevant research undertaken by him. Sri Lankan Ayurveda Doctor H. M. Jayatilleke who also make up the indigenous medical expert team is a former Public Health Officer (PHI) who has studied Ayurveda from the Gampaha Wickremarachchi Ayurveda University.
He has developed a range of herb based health treatments for different conditions of Covid-19. He conducts an Ayurveda school.
Covid-19
Also specifically affiliated with the residential medical facility treating Covid-19 patients is indigenous medical practitioner Priyantha Dharmawansa Weda Mahattaya linked to the Nilakadi Weda Paramparawa and practices all the traditional practices of Deshiya Chikitsa (Sri Lankan Ayurveda).
Indigenous medical practitioner and Sri Lankan Ayurveda Doctor Sampath Kalutharage who has to date treated over 30,000 Covid-19 patients and cured them within an average of three days is also part of the expert panel. He holds the knowledge of an inherited medical lineage and was trained under veteran Sinhala traditional medical practitioners and holds formal qualifications in Ayurveda from the Malawena Ayurveda Vidyalaya.
His mother is a Weda Nona specialising in ancient Deshiya Chikitsa treatment for diseases of children.
Indigenous medical practitioner Ayurveda Doctor Seewali Bandara is yet another veteran expert in Sri Lankan Ayurveda treating and advises on the treatment of patients at the Kelaniya residential facility.
He hails from the upcountry based Bandara Weda Paramparawa. He is also a scholar in Pali and Sanskrit. He is a registered indigenous doctor providing the Rasa Wedakama and has received formal qualification of Rasa Wedakama in India. He is often called upon by those in foreign countries for carrying out treatments for ailments that Allopathy cannot cure.
He has developed specific treatments for Covid-19 complications and for acute pneumonia. To date he has cured a large number of Covid-19 patients.
Among the female Indigenous/Sri Lankan Ayurveda experts that treat patients at the residential medical facility is doctor Dulari Mataraarachchi Wedamahathmiya who hails from the Kevitiyagala Jayasinghe Wedaparapura from the father’s side and from the Kalumada lineage of indigenous physicians.
Her formal Ayurveda qualification is from the Malawena Ayurveda Waidya Vidyalaya. This Wedamahathmiya treats patients for all general ailments and specialises in Kadun Bindun Wedakama and the Shara Wedakama.
Conditions
Indigenous/Sri Lankan Ayurveda doctor Mataraarachchi Wedamahathmiya has developed a specific Wattoru based syrup for fever that could be used even for Covid-19 like conditions (named as the Shri Wimala Una Peniya and also a peyawa (Jarabanga peyawa) that has so far succeeded in curing many early Covid-19 specific symptoms.
All the Sinhala Wedakam/ Sri Lankan Ayurveda medical experts use the ancient Nadi wedakama to identify diseases. All the doctors practise Buddhist meditation in their personal lives and as part of their medical tradition and are of a calm and kind disposition which is a major pre-requisite in Sinhala Wedakama and Ayurveda in general as authentically practised.
In addition to the doctors practising Sinhala Wedakama (Deshiya Chikitsa) as part of Sri Lankan Ayurveda there are MBBS qualified doctors of the Western medical tradition who are equally qualified in the Nadi Wedakama and deep Buddhistic meditation which they use for heightening their awareness in healing.
These doctors are affiliated with the Hela Suwaya traditional medicine facility which focuses significantly on pure earth based food as medicine.
All the food obtained and provided to the guests recovering from the Covid-19 virus at the Kelaniya residential Weda Gedera cum hotel, is fully organic.
Ancient medicinal heirloom rice such as Kaluheeneti, Pachaperumal and Kuruluthuda and many other varieties are used for main meals as well as Lunu Kendha (traditional Lankan broth). Only food suitable for the specific health condition and which will not aggravate the symptoms will be provided.
“We believe this step we have taken is a beacon of light not only for Sri Lanka but for the world. This is a chance for us to return from the synthetic to mother nature.
Wedakama and Ayurveda is based on the core principals of nature,” said Buddhima Mendis, the CEO of the Covid-19 treating residential facility located at the Heritage Eco Resort.