• The scarcity of medicine due to the lack of dollars to import raw materials
• Importation of raw materials has come to halt as suppliers have not been paid for previous orders
• The Government Indigenous Medical Practitioners Association had suggested growing of raw materials in Sri Lanka

By Yohan Perera   

The dollar crisis has resulted in a scarcity of some 373 kinds of ayurvedic medicines ,the  Government Indigenous Medical Practitioners Association revealed yesterday.    

The Association who met Ruwan Wijewardene the head of the Health Committee appointed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had informed that the FOREX issue had paved the way for the scarcity of medicine due to the lack of dollars to import raw materials for such medicine.   

It has been also revealed that importation of raw materials had come to halt as the suppliers have not been paid for previous orders.   

The Government Indigenous Medical Practitioners Association had suggested growing of raw materials in Sri Lanka. Accordingly they have proposed growing medicinal trees such as Nelli and Aralu locally.   The Association further proposed to promote health tourism. It was revealed that indigenous medical treatment is popular among Russian, German and Austrian tourists and that a programme should be put in place to promote health tourism.  Wijewardene said he will submit a report on the discussions he had with the association and their proposals to Prime Minister Wickremesinghe. He said he will hold discussions with Tourism Minister Harin Fernando on promoting health tourism.   

• They have proposed growing medicinal trees such as Nelli and Aralu locally