Indigenous medicine rejuvenated globally once again, boost to wellness tourism

WADDUWA - While the global medical tourism market valued at US$16,761 million in 2018 is set to grow to $27,247.6 million by 2024, Sri Lanka is also actively engaged in promoting medical tourism as there is a segment of travellers who are on Ayurveda holiday packages, who are high spender as their packages are combined with specific Ayurveda treatment.

This segment transcends all age groups and demographics and attracts holiday makers with a medical package from all parts of the world. This fact emerged at the first ever Ayurveda Symposium recently held at the Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort in southern Wadduwa.

Along with the Ayurveda fraternity in Sri Lanka, Siddhalepa, one of the oldest practitioners of Ayurveda treatment and wellness, over 200 years of experience, is teaming team up with researchers from around the world do new research on Ayurveda.

On the sidelines of the symposium, the Business Times (BT) asked Asoka Hettigoda, Managing Director, Hettigoda Group to comment on the alarming spread of ‘ Wellness Spas’ that are being established to promote prostitution and operating under guise of Ayurveda centres.

While stating that this kind of wellness spas should be stopped, he called for sterner regulations and those who violate those regulations must be severely punished.

There are numerous so-called Ayurveda practitioners who treat patients suffering from non-communicable diseases like strokes, heart ailments, cancer and even AIDS and charge exorbitant amounts, while advising the patients on top of their treatments, not to stop Western medical treatment.

In response to this, Mr. Hettigoda said that they treat patients purely according to Ayurveda medical practice.

Dr. Shantha Godagama domiciled in the UK and Advisor to Medicines Regulatory Authority, UK said that research on Ayurveda is very important, and noted that the need for research is also stressed in UK. He said that research has been done in India as well as Sri Lanka to acceptable standards.

He said that Ayurveda cannot be tested under the laboratories. Therefore they have got the UK authorities agree on traditional use methods.

Mr. Hettigoda said that Sri Lanka’s reawakened indigenous medicine and its interwoven culture and lifestyle would receive a major boost as Ayurveda specialists from all round the globe had gathered and discussed issues at this first Ayurveda Symposium.

He said that the global revival and a new wave of going back to nature and adapting alternate sources of medicine and cure for many health conditions, disabilities and disorders have put Ayurveda medical destinations back on the map of global travel. He pointed out that the healing powers of indigenous medicine is powerful and profound but sadly lost in time, its value diminishing as other alternate more recent medical practices overpowered it.

However he said that indigenous medicine is being revival globally, offering a holistic solution for a holiday with treatment, meditation and yoga exercise to their clientele.