Dec 13, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed the National Research Council to expedite the scientific validation of locally discovered treatments and medicines for COVID-19.

Accordingly, the Prime Minister has recommended to the National Research Council for validation of an indigenous medicine recommended by the University of Colombo, the indigenous treatment methods for COVID-19 developed by Dr. Harsha Subasinghe and Dr. Indika Jagoda and the medicinal honey of Ayurvedic doctor Dhammika Bandara of Kegalle through further scientific research.

A research paper on the ‘medicinal honey’ formulated by Dhammika Bandara is being presented with the involvement of professors from the Medical Faculty of the University of Rajarata. Five senior professors with expertise in physiology representing all medical colleges in the country and the Chairman of the National Research Council on behalf of the National Research Council Gynecologist Prof. Hemantha Dodampahala have been directed to conduct research on the elixir.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had earlier instructed the National Research Council to study the vaccines formulated for COVID-19 in the world and submit a report on it.

The National Research Council has handed over to the Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi the CDA report on the three best vaccines found for COVID-19 based on the report prepared accordingly.