University of Ruhuna requests the public not to get misled by the Karapitiya name attached to this product and not to look for this product at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna. University released a statement regarding the Medicine/ Nutrition Supplement Produced by Dr. Udara Sampath Gunawardena against COVID-19.
Highlights of the statement.
- There is absolutely NO relationship between Prof Sampath Gunawardena and Dr. Udara Sampath Gunawrdhana. Dr Udara Sampath Gunawrardhena is a Grade Medical Officer working at Psychiatry Unit at Teaching Hospital Karapityiya.
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna has NOTHING to do with this development or discovery MeGha Primal Intake.
- University of Ruhuna request the public NOT to inquire about this drug or nutrition supplement form the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna.
- University of Ruhuna is teaching allopathic medicine (Western medicine) and not indigenous medicine
- We are certain that Dr. Udara Sampath Gunawardena was never taught any indigenous medicine while in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna.
- Dr. Udara Sampath Gunawardena has a moral obligation to show research evidence for his claim.
- We inform the public that there is NO such regulatory body for approval situated at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna which is located at Karapitiya.
- University of Ruhuna do NOT have any connection with the product development, research, request for approval or granting approval.
- University of Ruhuna does NOT have the technical capability to recommend the use of this product against COVID-19.
- University of Ruhuna requests the public NOT to get misled by the Karapitiya name attached to this product and not to look for this product at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna.
Facebook has reportedly deleted MeGha Primal Intake page of latest fake cure for Covid19 in Sri Lanka, widely promoted on platform since 2 May. All videos on Instagram & YouTube accounts also now deleted.
Full Statement of Ruhuna University
Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna has been getting numerous telephone calls inquiring about the nutrition supplement / medicinal preparation /drug /capsule prepared by Dr, Udara Sampath Gunawardena & his team which is claimed to be effective against COVID-19. Most of these calls had been directed to the Faculty of Medicine probably as a result of mis-identification of Prof. Sampath Gunawardena, Professor of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna as the discoverer of this product. There is absolutely no relationship between Prof Sampath Gunawardena and Dr. Udara Sampath Gunawrdhana. Dr Udara Sampath Gunawrardhena is a Grade Medical Officer working at Psychiatry Unit at Teaching Hospital Karapityiya.
Secondly the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna has NOTHING to do with this development or discovery. Hence I as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ruhuna request the public NOT to inquire about this drug or nutrition supplement form the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna. Faculty of Medicine, University of does not produce or sell this preparation.
However, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna admits that Dr. Udara Sampath Gunawrdhana is an alumnus of the University of Ruhuna, being a graduate of the batch of the Faculty of Medicine, We would also wish to state clearly that the curriculum of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna is teaching allopathic medicine (Western medicine) and not indigenous medicine. Therefore, we are certain that Dr. Udara Sampath Gunawardena was never taught any indigenous medicine while in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna. However, the Faculty of Medicine, University of clearly teaches its undergraduates on clinical trials, research and research methodologies, drug discovery and registration, ethics and moral values in patient care and research to the extent required to be a good doctor. Therefore Dr. Udara Sampath Gunawardena has a moral obligation to show research evidence for his claim.
Since name Karapitiya has been attached to this product as a marketing strategy, many calls are directed to the Faculty of Medicine which is also situated at Karapitiya. On our inquiry I found that the Teaching Hospital Karapitiya is also getting telephone calls of similar nature, Since there is apparent claim that this product has received approval from regulatory authorities, I do hereby inform the public that there is NO such regulatory body for approval situated at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna which is located at Karapitiya. Specifically, the Department of Pharmacology of the Faculty of Medicine, Ethics Review Committee of the Faculty of Medicine or the Department of Pharmacy of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences of University of Ruhuna do NOT have any connection with the product development, research, request for approval or granting approval. No staff member was ever involved in this drug development activity. Hence, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna does not have the technical capability to recommend the use of this product against COVID-19. Therefore, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna wishes to clearly dissociate from the said person and the discovery. University of Ruhuna requests the public not to get misled by the Karapitiya name attached to this product and not to look for this product at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna.
Facebook has reportedly deleted MeGha Primal Intake page of latest fake cure for Covid19 in Sri Lanka, widely promoted on platform since 2 May. All videos on Instagram & YouTube accounts also now deleted.
More details via Sanjana Hattotuwa’s twitter thread here via threadreaderapp website.
Journalist Sajeewa Wijeweera’s investigative article here via Rata Website
Early this month Dhammika Paniya anti COVID Tonic saga ends as clinical trials concluded that saying #DhammikaPaniya’ is not a cure for COVID19. Clinical trials conducted among 68 patients, none of them showed any improvements. Last year massive crowd gathered near Ayurvedic practitioner Dhammika Bandara’s house in Kegalle seeking Ayurveda Tonic.