Consequent to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s instructions to relevant authorities to look into both Western and indigenous medicine to combat coronavirus, Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi held a discussion with ayurvedic doctors at the Ministry, a Health Ministry spokesman said. According to the spokesman, officials from the Ayurvedic Department also took part in the discussion along with the ayurvedic doctors. The group discussed various methods available in the ayurvedic system in connection with prevention, drugs and personal hygiene habits with regard to coronavirus. The ayurvedic doctors pointed out the importance of increasing immunity because there is no specific drug to control coronavirus. The ayurvedic doctors said that traditional systems such as inhaling steam help to control the virus because it is similar to a simple cold virus. Minister Wanniarachchi pointed out that 70 percent of the country’s indigenous medicine requirement is produced within the country, but more ayurvedic products should be made available to the people through state ayurvedic institutions.