MD in Ayurveda Swasthavritta and Board Certification

System of Ayurveda education in Sri Lanka commenced in June 1929 with the establishment of the Swadesheeya Vaidya Vidyalaya, which became the Institute of Indigenous Medicine (IIM) in 1977, when the University of Ceylon was established and later it was absorbed to the University of Colombo in 1980. No postgraduate medical examinations were conducted by the IIM until the establishment of Postgraduate Section. The Postgraduate Section was formed more than two decades under the IIM and number of MPhil Postgraduate Diplomas have been awarded. There was no structured and organized postgraduate training in MD (Ayu) available in Sri Lanka of any kind to benchmark in this field. Therefore the conduct a Postgraduate degree course in MD (Ayu) in Sri Lanka became decisive. The Board of Management of the IIM, University of Colombo and University Grants Commission recommended commencing and conducting a MD (Ayu) programme in 2012. Training in the specialties of Ayurveda Medicine at postgraduate degree level done in accordance with the Indian System of Medicine (Refer: CCIM Gazette of India, 2012 March 19) was taken in to consideration when arriving at the above decision. Accordingly postgraduate degree course of MD (Ayu) commenced in 2012 at the IIM. However the UGC and Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medicine with the concurrence of Cabinet of Ministers made a policy decision to establish the PGIIM to provide specialists to Ministry of Health that fulfils the stipulated requirements in the Special Gazette notification number 1882/50 dated 3rd October 2014. Accordingly the establishment of the PGIIM was gazetted in July 2017 and the Ordinance was gazette in December 2017. In doing so the lessons, experiences and knowledge acquired in the establishment of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM) in 1980, the equivalent in western medicine to PGIIM were discussed and modified. The academic matters of the Programme are determined by the BOS and SpB, in concurrence with the relevant units of the PGIIM and University. It has representations from University Ayurveda Institutes, Ministry of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, Departments of Ayurveda and Bandaranaike Memorial Ayurveda Research Institute. The training is conducted in training units in Ayurveda Teaching Hospitals of the Ministry of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine and training units in the state sector recognized for this purpose by the Senate on the recommendation of BOM/BOS/SpB. The PGIIM is therefore in the ideal position to provide this programme for the whole nation, in terms of its access to expertise and facilities, and its inclusivity and representativeness, which have evolved and developed over the past decades.