Let’s move towards a better tomorrow with Indigenous Medicine!

October 22, 2021 at 6:53 PM

Among the factors that contribute to the well-being of a country, national health is of paramount importance. That is why it is so important to safeguard and maintain the health sectors of a country or a nation. It is the responsibility of the entire society to formulate specific policies and procedures that will work for the good health of a particular community. Specialists with specialized knowledge, training and experience in health, wellness and hygiene should fulfill that responsibility with the support of the general public. The uniqueness of the medical practices of many countries around the world is due to the amalgamation of advanced health practices, guidelines and remedies through the knowledge, experience and expertise of such people who accurately identify how health systems should be utilized for the benefit of the people and how they should be properly implemented. It is true that there are local remedies, medicines, practices and treatments as well as beliefs that can be identified as completely indigenous to a country. Also, integrated medical traditions that have been in use in various countries since ancient times, mixed with treatments from other countries through foreign migrations and invasions, are also active around the world. Many of these therapies, which have been around for centuries, are highly regarded as eco-friendly and health-friendly medical methods that work closely with nature. In addition to all this, English medicine, which has gradually evolved through scientific methods with the advancement of technology, has also become immensely popular all over the world due to the advanced propaganda features associated with it, as well as the attractiveness of easy and fast healing methods such as pills, capsules and injections. There are many reasons for that. In addition, many of today’s busiest people in the world believe in Western medicine because it is recognized as a medical system with a set of treatments that are systematically implemented through research and experimentation in developed countries.

However, the indigenous medical treatments prevalent in some countries may seem like simple and easy methods, but there is evidence to prove the fact that it involves a great deal of long-term research, experimentation, and innovation behind them. In particular, indigenous medical therapies in countries such as India and China are sometimes too advanced and complicated than Western medical principles. Throughout the history of the world, there have been instances where no advanced technology has been able to properly comprehend the miracles performed by such amazing indigenous medical treatments. In the face of the recent global epidemic of viruses such as Covid or Corona, even the most advanced Western medical treatments are in decline. At the same time, it was seen that many people were thinking of rethinking local medicines and treatments.

Compared to other countries in the world, Sri Lanka also has a system of traditional medicine called Hela Wedakama, which has a very ancient and wonderful heritage of indigenous medicine and treatment. It has a history of thousands of years and is a collection of unique medical traditions with a wide range of all-time medical treatments that have been recognized locally and internationally. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it treats not only the symptoms but also the pathogenesis through the use of herbal extracts that can be found primarily in the natural environment and is passed down from generation to generation. Although Ayurvedic medicine and Hela Vedakama are considered to be not two but one, there is evidence to suggest that the traditional Hela medicine, endemic to Sri Lanka, is an indigenous system of Indigenous medicine based on ancient Sri Lankan medical practices. However, it is possible to identify the unique features of the modern Sri Lankan Ayurvedic system of medicine that have some features related to Indian-inspired Ayurvedic medicine. Today, the Sri Lankan Ayurvedic tradition is based on local Sinhala medical treatments, Indian Ayurvedic and Siddha medical treatments, Unani therapies in Greece as well as indigenous medical treatments in Sri Lanka.

Indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka has spread primarily through a number of prescriptions that have been handed down from generation to generation for over three thousand years. It is said that the patronage and contribution of the kings who were also famous as doctors in the history of Ceylon was important for the survival and advancement of this medical system. King Buddhadasa, one of the most prominent of these, is said to have been interested in establishing certain basic moral and legal conditions related to indigenous medicine. History has it that he focused on obtaining the consent of the patients before giving the treatment and obtaining the proper permission before the production of the medicine in accordance with the ancient conventions. History also states that King Rawana, a great ruler of the nation who is still talked about today, specialized in official medicine which is a branch of Hela medicine. It is also said that Sage Pulasti, an ancestor of the Ravana dynasty, was the head of a world forum on ancient indigenous medicine held in India thousands of years ago. According to the latest information available, research on civilizations dating back to 40,000 years ago suggests that the origins of Hela Vedakama date back to the time of the earliest civilizations in Sri Lanka.

Ancient inscriptions testify to the existence of very systematic and systematic medical treatments in the country over the centuries. Sri Lanka is also considered to be the first country in the world to have hospitals capable of carrying out surgeries on even animals. The ruins of what is believed to be the world’s first hospital still exists in the Mihintale area. Ruins have been found in many other such ancient hospitals which used to provide treatment through ancient medical practices and all of them say that even in ancient times the most advanced indigenous medical treatments were practiced in the country. Indigenous medical treatments in Sri Lanka have been declining for a long time due to various reasons, but with the recent outbreak of viral pandemics around the world, which has caused a great deal of loss of life, Western medicine has not been able to find a solution. Many people in our country are beginning to turn to local medicine and therapies. Of course it is a good trend.  Traditional medical practices, which include indigenous medicine and medical treatments, is a silent, yet effective form of treatment that has been able to heal the lives of the people of this country since time immemorial and set the stage for a healthy lifestyle. It is clear that the time has come to rethink this medical system, which has the potential to heal patients using drugs that are formulated using substances such as medicinal plant parts sourced from the natural environment. Compared to other therapies that cause side effects, Hela Wedakama provides healing through natural medicine compounds that are not harmful to the body.

Medicinal plants used in Hela Wedakama are used individually or in combination with plant parts. There are a number of pamphlet books in the country detailing how to prepare these medicines. There are a number of different generations of doctors who have been providing treatments through Hela Wedakama in the country since ancient times. Conventional therapies based on their information focus primarily on the body as a whole.

As with most modern medical procedures, there is often no separate treatment for the individual organs. Also, the effectiveness of the drugs used in these local therapies affects the whole body. Therefore, the wonder contained in this exclusive traditional medical practice, which has therapeutic methods of circulating in the body in its entire active form and providing healing, is so complex and profound that it cannot be detected by laboratory or clinical research. Also, another specialty of Hela Wedakama is to focus on the physical, mental as well as spiritual well-being of a person. One of the main concepts adopted in Hela Wedakama is that all these factors should be taken into consideration in the prevention of diseases. That is why it is always emphasized in Hela Wedakama related therapies that attention should be paid to physical, mental as well as spiritual well-being in order for a person to be able to lead a healthy, wholesome and comfortable life.

It is no secret that Hela Wedakama, which is highly regarded and trusted as a medical discipline with many therapeutic potential and positive results, has in recent times been despised, devalued or ignored for various reasons. Without realizing the true value of this great science, the image of Hela Wedakama seems to have been somewhat distorted by the propaganda projects carried out by some in the past with the narrow objective of gaining economic and other benefits. As a result of some of these propaganda projects, commercial products without any scientific basis were promoted as highly effective drugs, but in the end it was revealed that all of them were only illusions. But by then, such products would have posed a significant socio-political and health risk to the lives of the people of this country. There were many who, knowingly or unknowingly, worked to create a high market for such commercial products, touting them as the great medicines of indigenous medicine in the country. There is no doubt that many of those who did not properly understand what Hela Wedakama was and acted very rudely and relentlessly now regret it. However, due to their active role, no harm has been done to Hela Wedakama or the related great scholars in this country as there are still a large number of people here in Sri Lanka who believe in Hela Wedakama. They strongly believe that Hela Wedakama is a medical tradition that should be brought closer to life for a healthier tomorrow and preserved for future generations. We need to work together as a nation to achieve a better, healthier and brighter tomorrow in the face of the current dire situation caused by the deadly Covid or Corona virus pandemic. We must join hands with Hela Wedakama, which is mixed with our own, and move forward with confidence. With Hela Wedakama and its amazing properties, we can move towards a clearer tomorrow. It is the duty and responsibility of all of us to line up with confidence.