23 August 2021 08:50 am Views - 209
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda
A registered Ayurvedic doctor has lodged a complaint with IGP Chandana Wickremaratne urging him to initiate legal action against health authorities for allegedly allowing Covid-19 infected patients to die without treating them under the Ayurvedic Health Care System.
The complainant B.A.Rathnapala, a registered medical practitioner at the Ayurvedic Medical Council had made this complaint urging to take legal action under section 261, 289 and 298 of the Penal Code for causing deaths by negligence against former Health Minister Pavithra Devi Wanniarachchi, State Ministers Sudarshani Fernandopulle, Sisira Jayakody, Secretary to the Ministry of Health Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe and Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena.
In his complaint, Dr.Rathnapala stated that it is a criminal offence to allow infected people to die in this manner without allowing them to have local medical treatment that can prevent deaths. The complainant said several Ayurvedic doctors including himself had introduced Indigenous medicine which develops immunity in the body’s blood to fight the Covid-19 virus. The complainant is of the view that it is not reasonable for a large number of Covid-19 patients to die daily, despite the ability of indigenous medicine to cure these patients.
In his complaint, Dr. Rathnapala said such deaths were due to the arbitrary decision of the Director-General of Health Services by vesting powers on the Western medical system to treat Covid-19 patients under the Quarantine Ordinance. The complainant said there are about 20,000 traditional Indigenous Ayurvedic doctors under the Ayurvedic Medical Council in the field of Indigenous Medicine and their contribution has not been adequately considered during the pandemic.
“Among those doctors are Siddha medical practitioners of Tamil descent, Unani physicians of Muslim descent and Homoeopathic doctors,”.
The doctor said there are doctors among them who can treat this virus and further said he has also handed over an evidence-based medicinal formula to the former Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi.
The complainant urges the IGP to take necessary legal action against those responsible for causing the deaths of those who died after being infected with upper respiratory tract infections, Covid-19 infections and immunodeficiency disorders, despite the availability of indigenous medical treatment.