Page 96 - Traditional Medicine Systems of BIMSTEC Member States – 2023 Report

Traditional Medicine Systems of

Sri Lanka

1. Traditional medicine systems available in the health
service system

The health system in Sri Lanka is enriched by a mix of Allopathy, Ayurveda,

Siddha, Unani Homeopathy, and a few other complementary systems of medicine that
exist together. of these systems allopathy medicine as well as Ayurveda has become

dominant and is catering to the majority of the health needs of the people under the
Ministry of Health

Sri Lankan traditional medical system is a unique doctrine with many distinct
inherent traditions and practices before the advent of the allopathic system of medicine,

the Sri Lankan population relied on traditional medicine as the primary health care
system and the traditional physicians were able to effectively cater and manage the health

care needs of the general population in the past.
Traditional Systems of Medicine of Sri Lanka are enriched with Ayurveda, Siddha,

Unani, Deshiya Chikitsa, other complementary medical systems of the countries, and
Homeopathy. Depicting a proud heritage of a highly developed civilization is a great

cultural heritage of a dignified nation which was represented by Irshi Pulasti at the
Bharatha Irshi Congress, shines with solemnity. It is the story of Sri Lankan traditional

medical knowledge that is related through the 30,000 years old steps of the Balangoda
man, which was enlivened, by the archaeological evidence of the pre-Vijayan era.
Sri Lanka

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