Ayurvedic hospitals in Sri Lanka can now treat COVID-19 patients in the country, reported Daily Mirror. Regulators in the country have granted them permission to treat asymptomatic patients as the island nation sees a surge in caseload. 

Sudarshani Fernandopulle, the Sri Lankan minister for primary health care, epidemics, and COVID-19 disease control, said, “This is because we need to identify all possible places to admit positive patients.” 

So far, three hospitals have been allowed to admit COVID-19 patients. A vast majority of people in Sri Lanka still practice alternate traditional medicines in the country. 

She said efforts will be taken to transfer symptomatic patients to other hospitals. One of the Ayurvedic hospitals was already treating COVID-19 patients, she said. The government is looking for options for the treatment of COVID-19 patients to ease some pressure on hospitals, she claimed.