International drug industry runs on the lines of a mafia-like operation with scant respect to consumers
Drug manufacturing has turned out to be a major mafia-type operation while another revelation is that using some western medicine to cure ailments could lead to other health hazards. This was stated by Faizal Cassim, Deputy Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine while addressing the launch of Ayurveda Expo 2016 held in Colombo last week. The Ayurveda Expo organised by the National Chamber of Commerce (NCC) is scheduled to be held from 8 to 10 July 2016 at the BMICH. The objective of the exhibition is to promote the Sri Lankan Ayurveda system and healthcare practices locally and overseas and also to provide an opportunity for all relevant sectors, to promote their products and services both locally and internationally.
Mr. Cassim said that they have received information that certain drug manufacturers are adopting a trend to introduce a variety of vegetables in countries like Sri Lanka that could be lead to sicknesses in a bid to sell their drugs more and more to cure these ailments. He didn’t name these vegetable varieties. He said that the answer to these complications is to start using Ayurvedic herbal medicine, adding that in a country like Sri Lanka more and more herbal plants could be grown, exported to earn more foreign exchange and help the country to boost the economy.
He pointed out that in manufacturing Ayurvedic drugs Sri Lanka is far behind. While he was running a garment factory with some Koreans being buyers these Koreans used to carry Ayurvedic Herbal tablet.
Even India has 100s of Ayurvedic medicinal tablet manufacturers while in Sri Lanka there are only a few. He urged the NCC to extend support to develop Ayurveda in this country and told them to encourage growing Ayurvedic medicinal plants in Sri Lanka to avoid importing them.
Dr. Danister L Perera, Consultant, Medical Symposium, said that herbal medicine is a rapidly growing market globally. But in Sri Lanka, he said, when exporting Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine there are problems in quality standards. He said that the problems arise in the use of raw materials with occasions where the use of pesticides has affected the standards set by international buyers.