The Institute of Indigenous Medicine (IIM) (UOC)

At the end of the nineteenth century, the British colony, the then Ceylon, had a system of Indigenous medicine, but no College to provide indigenous medical education.  Three associations or bodies that were formed had done the preliminary work for the preservation of traditional medical knowledge and to protect and uphold the professional status of those engaged in practicing oriental medical system.  These associations are “The Sinhalese Medical Association (1891), Sri Lanka Vaidya Maha Mandalaya (1901) , and Sri Lanka Samaja Prathisanskarana Sangamaya (1915).   Eminent personalities such as, Sir Solaman R. Dias Bandaranaike, F.R. Senanayake, K. Balasingham, Donald Ubhayasekera and Ananda Coomaraswamy, the great patriots were involved in creating a fund for this purpose.