Vendol Lanka builds Ayurvedic primary health care units at grass root level
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Minister Sajith Premadasa and Vendol Chairman Dr. L.P. Godakanda laying the foundation stone.
Ayurvedic primary health care units are to be set up in rural areas with the aim of addressing the emerging health challenges with the increasing of aged population in the country.
Vendol Lanka Company (Pvt) in association with its manufacturing arm Godakanda Herbals (Pvt) Ltd Ltd is spearheading this indigenous medicinal venture focusing attention on chronic and non-communicable diseases among villagers.
There is a noticeable absence of a strong primary care-level system for chronic care, including a dearth of general practitioners with relevant expertise.
Ideally, 70- 80 per cent of all health care should, in fact, be delivered at the primary care level, with 10-15 per cent of care provided at the secondary level and only the most advanced cases treated at the tertiary level, Vendol Lanka Company Chairman Dr. Lelwala P. Godakanda said.
In Sri Lanka patients tend to bypass lower levels of care and go directly to specialists at secondary and tertiary hospitals, despite long waiting times.
Bypassing leads to under-utilisation of small institutions and overcrowding in the bigger institutions.
Therefore, reorganisation of primary health care is of utmost importance to address these challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Under this initiative, two primary health care units will be built at Okewela ‘Sumihiri gama a remote village in Hambantota.
A ceremony to lay the foundation stone to build the health care units was held recently under the patronage of Housing Minister Sajith Premadasa and Dr. Godakanda recently.