Background and Introduction
This proposal is submitted as a part of an initiative to establish professorial units of the Faculty of Indigenous Medicine (FIM), University of Colombo at the National Ayurveda Teaching Hospital (NAH) located at Cotta Road, Borella, Colombo 08. The NAH is currently under the State Ministry of Indigenous Medicine Promotion, Rural and Ayurvedic Hospital Development and Community Health. The proposed Ayurveda Teaching Hospital is planned to support Ayurveda and Unani medical students of the Faculty of Indigenous Medicine (FIM) in education, research and to improve and simplify the Institute’s current academic structure and to give effective clinical training to the Ayurveda and Unani medical students. In present era, it is worthy to be noted that the medical institutes under various universities have established professorial units in the teaching hospitals to improve the quality of teaching and clinical training with overly elaborated academic structure.
The goal of the overall initiative, hereafter referred to the Professorial Unit (PU), is to arrive at an academic structure that better reflects the University’s size and scope, and enhances progress on its Strategic Planning Framework priorities in particular, and the University’s ability to meet its mandate more generally. It gives the clear opportunities to improve the University’s academic structure in the practical training areas, along with the need to address common issues and concerns of the medical education and research. This would be useful starting point in a plan to simplify and improve the University’s academic structure, and work together in consultation with the institutional members, medical officers, hospital staff, students and external stakeholders, to identify viable options for effective medical education.
The proposal advances the creation of a new, integrated PU to support learning, discovery and engagement in the health sciences as a first major step in simplifying and improving the medical education especially clinical training of the undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The goal of the overall initiative, hereafter referred to the Professorial Unit (PU), is to arrive at an academic structure that better reflects the University’s size and scope, and enhances progress on its Strategic Planning Framework priorities in particular, and the University’s ability to meet its mandate more generally. It gives the clear opportunities to improve the University’s academic structure in the practical training areas, along with the need to address common issues and concerns of the medical education and research. This would be useful starting point in a plan to simplify and improve the University’s academic structure, and work together in consultation with the institutional members, medical officers, hospital staff, students and external stakeholders, to identify viable options for effective medical education.
The proposal advances the creation of a new, integrated PU to support learning, discovery and engagement in the health sciences as a first major step in simplifying and improving the medical education especially clinical training of the undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The faculty of Indigenous Medicine is the forerunner of the Government College of Indigenous Medicine established at no. 36, Cotta Road, Borella on 10th June, 1929 and set up a hospital in adjoining it for teaching purpose. The prime purpose of establishing the Government College of Indigenous Medicine was to provide education to those who aspire to study in the field of indigenous systems of medicine.
The turning point in Ayurveda medical education was marked by introduction of Indigenous Medical Ordinance No. 17 in the year 1941. Ayurveda Advisory Board and Ayurveda College and Hospital Board were established with the aim of up grading the quality and standard of teaching in the Government College of Indigenous Medicine.
With the introduction of Ayurveda Act No. 31 of 1961, the name of Government College of Indigenous Medicine renamed as Government Ayurvedic Medical College and Diploma in Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery (DAMS) was awarded replacing DIMS that had been offered since 1929. Subsequently, the College at the Cotta Road was shifted to the present location at Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte.
The Government Ayurveda Medical College was upgraded to the university level and affiliated to the University of Sri Lanka in 01stApril, 1977 and renamed as the Institute of Ayurveda Medicine, University of Sri Lanka. Later, the institute was affiliated to the University of Colombo with effect from 01stJanuary 1980 by Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978 and renamed as the Institute of Indigenous Medicine (IIM). In 1983, the new curricula were introduced replacing Diploma the Institute of Indigenous Medicine has been awarding BAMS and BUMS degree programmes in Ayurveda and Unani systems of medicine separately.
At present 1115 BAMS and 331 BUMS undergraduates are being following their respective
five-year study programmes.
The turning point in Ayurveda medical education was marked by introduction of Indigenous Medical Ordinance No. 17 in the year 1941. Ayurveda Advisory Board and Ayurveda College and Hospital Board were established with the aim of up grading the quality and standard of teaching in the Government College of Indigenous Medicine.
With the introduction of Ayurveda Act No. 31 of 1961, the name of Government College of Indigenous Medicine renamed as Government Ayurvedic Medical College and Diploma in Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery (DAMS) was awarded replacing DIMS that had been offered since 1929. Subsequently, the College at the Cotta Road was shifted to the present location at Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte.
The Government Ayurveda Medical College was upgraded to the university level and affiliated to the University of Sri Lanka in 01stApril, 1977 and renamed as the Institute of Ayurveda Medicine, University of Sri Lanka. Later, the institute was affiliated to the University of Colombo with effect from 01stJanuary 1980 by Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978 and renamed as the Institute of Indigenous Medicine (IIM). In 1983, the new curricula were introduced replacing Diploma the Institute of Indigenous Medicine has been awarding BAMS and BUMS degree programmes in Ayurveda and Unani systems of medicine separately.
At present 1115 BAMS and 331 BUMS undergraduates are being following their respective
five-year study programmes.
National Ayurveda Hospital (NAH)
National Ayurveda Hospital, the oldest and the largest Ayurveda hospital in the country, which is being used from its inception, is located at Cotta Road, Borella, Colombo 08. It is under the purview of the Ministry of Health as well as State Ministry of Indigenous Medicine Promotion, Rural and Ayurvedic Hospitals Development and Community Health. NAH is the Teaching Hospital of the IIM where clinical training of students is conducted; moreover it 4 provides comprehensive health care services and venue for research. The NAH is armed with consultants, specialist grade doctors, medical officers and supporting staff. Hospital provides OPD and IPD facilities under different units; all these clinical units are in par with the academic units of the Departments of study in Ayurveda and Unani in the IIM. Consultant physicians of the IIM with the hospital staff offer their services for clinical training of students and smooth functioning of the hospital.
At present 11 MD/MS qualified specialist and 06 MPhil qualified specialist grade physicians in Ayurveda Medicine are being posted at the NAH. Similarly, 03 MD/MS qualified specialist
in Unani medicine are being posted at the NAH.
At present 11 MD/MS qualified specialist and 06 MPhil qualified specialist grade physicians in Ayurveda Medicine are being posted at the NAH. Similarly, 03 MD/MS qualified specialist
in Unani medicine are being posted at the NAH.