Sri Lanka Trending English News - Latest international news headlines, pictures, and video

Ampitiye Sumana rathana Thera released on bail

The Batticaloa Magistrates Court this morning release Sri Mangalarama Viharaya Chief incumbent Ampitiye Sumanarathana Thera on bail this morning. 

The Thera was released on two surety bails and a cash bail of Rs.50, 000. He was ordered to appear before court on January 25.

I can treat Dengue, says Ayurvedic doctor

Dr. D. D. A. Hettiarachchi, a traditional ayurvedic doctor hailing from Galle in Ganemulla, claims to have found cure for Dengue and several Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) including Herpes and HIV/AIDS, and says he has saved hundreds of lives in his over 50 years’ service.

“Even though Dengue is not deadly, the society has labelled it so. This is not a new disease.
It has existed in the past, as far back as B.C. 92 in ancient China. I have come across it in ancient books as ‘Break-bone’ fever. The ayurvedic name for Dengue is ‘Dandaka fever’ - as it hurts like being beaten from a batton. I have also treated many patients with Dengue symptoms in the past, before the society even came up with the term. By now, I have been treating Dengue patients for nearly 15 years. Some people have natural antibodies against Dengue, but some do not. Western medicine doesn’t have a cure for the disease, which is why it is considered lethal. But there are alternatives like the treatments I give. I have cured western doctors too. However, decent western doctors admit that Dengue could be cured with ayurvedic medicine. Some of them have even sent me patients they failed to cure,” the doctor commented.

“I can cure any Dengue patient within 18 hours. I have held discussions with many ayurvedic and western doctors regarding my treatment, but they come to a halt after the directors and authorities attempt to snatch my secret formula, which they are determined to have. Using my know-how to treat Dengue-inflicted patients is not their focus. I reiterate, Dengue is curable. I don’t want to affront any medical tradition, what I do and want to do is to heal patients. I am ready to face any challenge in the context of curing Dengue patients. The malady should be managed well and it cannot be done by staying at home; it needs the caring of a hospital as doctors and nurses do the necessary blood tests. Dengue is a virus and there are no cures for viruses in western practices. People are hurt by various diseases every day because they give up medicine and the traditional way of life,” Dr. Hettiarachchi added.

Many tourists have come to him seeking a cure for their diseases, especially HIV and other STDs. He is treating an HIV-infected person in Botswana by sending her the required medicines on a monthly basis. He has patients from countries like Germany and USA, and most of them have requested him to work abroad, but he wants to remain in his home country and serve it to the best of his ability.

Dr. Hettiarachchi has been visited by a number of patients including military officers, doctors and lawyers. He has many reports requested from the patients related to various stages of sickness.

The treatment

Dengue treatments should be carried out within 18 hours. There are only two medicines to provide - an ointment to be applied on the head and ears, with a powder to drink mixed with a piece of papaya leaf and king coconut flower juice. It is given thrice at six hour intervals. This medicine has saved the lives of many. The doctor suggests that Ebola virus could also be cured by this treatment, if it is detected in Sri Lanka.

Mother of a three-year-old Dengue patient

“My son was detected with Dengue when he was just three years old. He was hospitalized in IDH for six days. His blood count dropped and he had begun to bleed internally. Doctors had given up on him and it was a visitor to the hospital who told us about Dr. Hettiarachchi. Later, my husband visited the doctor and he was given the medicine. Just one hour after applying the given oil, my son was able to urinate after it being blocked for hours. Although my son bled inside hours ago, soon after the treatment, he showed signs of recovery. Within only two days, his blood count returned to the normal state, bewildering all doctors. As my sister’s son was also affected with Dengue, he was given the same treatment and he too recovered,” she said.

History of Dr. Hettiarachchi

Dr. Hettiarachchi was a student of the Hiththatiya Gunarathna Mudalinda Pirivena, the first Pirivena in the South, where he learned traditional ayurvedic medicine. He later schooled at Kajjuwattha weda walawwa. Those two places were leading institutes for training traditional ayurvedic doctors at that time.

Cures for HIV/ Herpes

Dr. Hettiarachchi had conducted a research on HIV at the IDH Hospital only to be interrupted halfway due to lack of funds. He claims that he could cure HIV and many other STDs. According to him, the HIV germ activates three to four months after it first enters the body, and later, detectable side effects appear. If patients come for treatment before the germ activates, he says with eight, 10 or 12 months of treatment, the patient could be cured. If the ELIZA test results negative two or three times, the disease is believed to be cured. He has completely cured eight patients suffering from HIV and nearly 75 patients with Herpes.

A cured Herpes victim

A patient found to be a Herpes victim underwent three years of medical treatment before he came to Dr. Hettiarachchi.

“I came to Dr. Hettiarachchi four months after the disease was detected. Now I am having treatment for two years and nine months. My reports show negative results now,” he said.

Eternal cycle of diseases

Commenting on diseases and related consequences, the doctor said: “Diseases cannot be eliminated forever, as being sick is an eternal cycle. Diseases spread and deplete from time to time. There are antibodies for sicknesses, but there are times when we cannot fight with internal antibodies only. We should always be on guard against what is known to be bad. People should be satisfied with what they get, without running after for more than they have. The more you chase things, the more misery will you have to face. Most of the people who come to me with social diseases are either married but looking for sexual pleasure out of the family or had sought sex at a very young age.”

“The government officials are not cooperating and the government is not considerate of my research work, treatment or the yeoman service I render to the needy. Once I informed the former president about my efforts, and as a result, former Director of the Bandaranaike Memorial Ayurvedic Research Institute Prof. K.K.D.S. Ranaweera had several discussions with me to do a research at the IDH Hospital with the Dengue team there, but the discussions didn’t turn into a research,” the doctor said.

Prof. K.K.D.S. Ranaweera - Former Director of Bandaranaike Memorial Ayurvedic Research Institute, Maharagama

“It is difficult to prove Dr. Hettiarachchi’s medicine scientifically, and the reports he have cannot prove the miracle of his medicine. We discussed about him with our doctors, as there are people like that everywhere. We were also willing to help him even though we were a little suspicious about him. Therefore, we asked him to bring the patent of his finding. But, he never did so. Actually we don’t believe it as a successful treatment, and he is somewhat afraid of being robbed of his formula. We informed him that if he could prove the validity of his treatment, there was no rejection from us. We cannot be satisfied with the method he claims to have used to save Dengue patients. His medicine should start from the first detection of a Dengue patient and be measured with before and after progress. Sometimes, Dengue gets cured even without any treatment. But, I do not reject his cure out of hand. He and many other people who claim to have found a cure for Dengue expect sudden recognition from us. If we give that kind of recognition to anyone, it should happen with a scientific reasoning and systematic research,” the professor said.

Commenting on his skills and experience, the ayurvedic doctor said: “Many helpless patients are deceived by dishonest ayurvedic practitioners who charge huge sums for treatment. Now I am 70 years old, and I want to do as much service as I could to cure patients before my demise. I request the government, the directors of the Ayurveda Medical Council and all those who are responsible to use me for the well-being of the ill. I assure I can cure Dengue, HIV and Herpes and other STDs. If I am sponsored to do research work on HIV and other STDs, if I am given a ward or a unit in an ayurvedic hospital, then I can serve patients with utmost dedication, whether it is Dengue or HIV.’’ (Nisansala Dissanayaka)

Address – No. 98/7, Sisira Mawatha, Suwa Asapuwa, Kendaliyaddapaluwa, Ganemulla.



World Fast Chess Gold for Ehsha

Ehsha Michela Pallie of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo has won the first place in the under 9 age group in Blitz (fast chess) at the 2016 World Schools Chess Championship concluded in Sochi, Russia. 

Ehsha who is the Asian Schools champion in the under 9 age group won three medals including a gold at the Asian Schools Chess Championship held in Iran in April this year as well.

Besides Ehsha four other Sri Lankan players have performed well in the Blitz category at the World Schools Chess Championship held in Russia. Dewja Sasmini Weerakoon of Lyceum College, Panadura has come second in the under 13 Blitz category while Niklesha Tharushi of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo, Nethmi Gamage of Asian Grammar School, Colombo and Dineth Naotunna of D.S. Senanayake College Colombo won third places in the under 13, 15 and 17 age groups respectively.

Five missing pilgrims rescued

The Special Task Force of the Police rescued the five pilgrims who had lost their way while making the pilgrimage to the top of Sri Pada.

The five had entered the Sri Pada forest reserve through the upper division of the Laxapana Estate on Monday, but lost their bearings soon after.

The Sri Lanka Air Force deployed a Bell 412 to locate the missing pilgrims and the Special Task Force was sent to facilitate their rescue. Four of the pilgrims are residents of Nugegoda and include a woman. The fifth is an estate workers attached to the Laxapana Estate.

Journalist says no need for probe

Journalist Roshan Gunasekera who was subject to an alleged assault by the Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne during a protest by employees of the Hambantota Port on Saturday said that a Police investigation into the matter was not required. 

He told yesterday that he has no private animosity towards the Navy Commander and that he had made the complaint to Police purely for future protection.

However, he said that since this attack targeted the overall media, the government for their part should take serious note of the incident.

"The Navy Commander does not know me personally. Neither do I know him personally. Even when I told him I was from the media, he attacked me. But I do not want to obtain compensation from the Navy Commander," Gunasekera said.

He further added that he lodged a complaint at the office of the Assistant Superintendant of Police (ASP) of Hambantota regarding this assault only for his future protection and had informed the Police in his complaint that he did not require an investigation into the incident.

Deer shot dead on pre-poya day in Mihintale

Officers of the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Mihintale Police took into custody a hunter with a trap gun in his possession yesterday (12) at noon when he was returning home with a female deer that had been suckling a fawn; he had killed it using the gun so that he could sell the meat at higher prices on Poya Day. 

The suspect hunter had been arrested while a group of officers including the Officer-In-Charge of the Anti-Corruption Unit had been engaged in duty in the Nochchikulama Forest Reserve located close to the Doramadalawa Purana Rajamaha Vihara in the sacred premises of Mihintale. The hunter is a father of five girls.

The hunter had set up the trap gun in the jungle and killed the doe and he had been dragging the animal home when he was arrested. When on suspicion the surrounding jungle areas was inspected subsequent to the arrest, the Police said that they discovered the fallen fawn which had been hit by a bullet in the spine and was lifeless in its back legs. Police said a bullet had pierced the doe's neck. Police suspect that the suspect would have killed the doe in order to sell the meat at higher prices on Poya Day.

The injured fawn which was about one and a half years old was handed over to the Wildlife Office officials in Anuradhapura by the Police. The suspect who was taken into custody was due to be produced at the Magistrate's Court in Anuradhapura yesterday evening. The suspect was taken into custody by Officer-In-Charge of the Anti-Corruption Unit Sub-Inspector of Police U. B. S. Anura Kumara, Sub Inspector of Police Dayananda, Sergeant Jayatilleke (45923) and Police constables Jayatilleke (37296) and Seneviratne (38873) under the instructions of the Officer-In-Charge of the Mihintale Police Station Inspector of Police Rukmal Ratnayake.

Man shot dead at Meetiyagoda junction

The Police are pursuing further investigations into a murder incident that took place in the Meetiyagoda area yesterday. 

The owner of a fruit stall in the Meetiyagoda junction was shot and killed within his stall yesterday morning. The Police recovered an ammunition and an empty ammunition cap from within the stall.

A 45-year-old father of three residing in the Mahawatte area, died in this shooting. This same person sustained injuries in a shootout that took place on the 13th of February this year. The Meetiyagoda Police said that the suspects concerned had been arrested and are in remand custody.

Laws needed to control social media - PM

Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says the government is keeping a close watch on the activities of certain websites in social media.

Speaking at a religious function in Gurutalawa in Welimada today (12), he said laws would be introduced if necessary, if such website failed to listen to reason.