Ayurvedic drug production in crisis as Sri Lanka runs out of key medicinal plants

By Indika Sri Aravinda  

The Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals Corporation is facing a major production crisis due to a severe shortage of essential medicinal plants required for local Ayurvedic drug manufacturing.   

Registered suppliers have informed the corporation that many traditional herbs are now extremely difficult to source due to nationwide shortages, forcing the corporation to seek alternative procurement methods, Chairperson Geethamani Karunaratne said. As a result, the corporation has decided to purchase medicinal plants from external sources, even outside its registered supplier network, to maintain production levels.   

Among the herbs in critical shortage are aloe vera, kiratha, ranawara bark, napothu, raw hathawariya yam, dried daththa yam, and raw welakola. Ms. Karunaratne said aloe vera, a key ingredient for several Ayurvedic medicines, has been unavailable for nearly three months, severely affecting production.   

She added that there is also a shortage of imported Ayurvedic plants, both in raw and dried form, further worsening the situation.   

The corporation warns that if supplies do not improve, the production of Ayurvedic medicines and related products will face serious disruption.   

Ms. Karunaratne appealed to the public to assist by supplying available medicinal plants to the corporation. For more information, the public may contact 011 2850229.