The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa – Minister of Health and Mass Media

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, we note the Standing Order 27(2) concern raised by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake; we will retain the clip as it may be relevant later. On this question, I will correct terminology while reading.

¶ 02 (a) (i) There are no “Ayurveda medical colleges” as such. Under the University Grants Commission, four state universities host faculties of Indigenous Medicine across Ayurveda/Siddha/Unani streams: - University of Colombo – Faculty of Indigenous Medicine (Ayurveda/Unani) - Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine – Faculty of Indigenous Medicine (Ayurveda) - Eastern University, Trincomalee Campus – Faculty of Siddha Medicine - University of Jaffna – Faculty of Siddha Medicine

¶ 03 (ii) There is no institution legally named “Sri Lanka Ayurveda Siddha Medical College, Jaffna.” Under Section 22 of the Ayurveda Act No. 31 of 1961, the registered college was “Lanka Siddha Ayurveda Ayurvedic Shastri College,” No. 127, Stanley Road, Jaffna, registered with the Ayurveda Education and Hospitals Board. By a Board decision, all 20 such Shastri colleges registered under the Board have been suspended with effect from 2017.12.31. Accordingly, new student intakes were halted.

¶ 04 (iii) Students last admitted (2017) are being allowed to complete final year written/oral/practical examinations.

¶ 05 (iv) 609 Development Officers recruited by the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government have been deployed to institutions under the Department of Ayurveda for institutional duties. Separately, graduates have been recruited as Development Officers under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media to serve across Divisional Secretariats nationwide in the Indigenous Medicine sector.

¶ 06 (v) These Development Officers do not work directly with traditional physicians; they handle coordination between Divisional Secretariats and Conservation Boards. Issues of traditional physicians are addressed by Divisional Secretaries through Conservation Boards.

¶ 07 (vi) Not applicable.

¶ 08 (vii) and (viii) Under the Ayurveda (Amendment) Act No. 19 of 2023, Section 22 of Act No. 31 of 1961 provides for the Ayurveda Education and Hospitals Board; however, there is no legal provision empowering it to grant approval to establish indigenous medical colleges.

¶ 09 Regarding IDs and certificates: Under Sections 55(1) and 55(2) of the Ayurveda Act, issuing practitioner identity cards and registration/ certificate books is the mandate of the Ayurvedic Medical Council. The Council has no legal authority to award degrees.

¶ 10 (b) (i) A separate new institution is not envisaged; functions lie with existing bodies per law.

¶ 11 (ii) The Public Service Commission has not approved a recruitment scheme for daily-paid posts; therefore, introducing a recruitment scheme and salary scale specifically for traditional physicians is not currently possible.

¶ 12 (iii) Government support is provided through the Ministry’s Indigenous Medicine Division, the National Institute of Traditional Medicine, the Ayurvedic Medical Council, and via Divisional Secretariats and Conservation Boards.

¶ 13 (iv) No. It is not Rs. 5,000. Under Sections 19 and 50 read with Section 18(e) of the Act and Gazette No. 1884/36 of 2014.10.15, every registered practitioner must renew registration every five years. The Department of State Accounts has approved a fee of Rs. 6,000 for five years. The Ayurvedic Medical Council is empowered under Section 21(1)(a) to levy such fees.

¶ 14 (c) Does not arise.