Growing up and taking after his renowned father, Dr. S. S. Gunawardhana, a skilled Ayurvedic doctor specialized in cardiac diseases in Anuradhapura, it is right to say that Dr. Kasun Gunawardhana grew up alongside medicine, and their family business in the field, Adhitya Ayurveda. Having had his primary academic education at St. Joseph’s College in Anuradhapura, and then his secondary education at Anuradhapura Central College, he learned about life and medicine in parallel with the usual sites of patients, illnesses, and medicines that were very familiar aspects of his life. The constant exposure to his dad’s great work not only raised his curiosity but an uncanny enthusiasm for the process of healing individuals through practice and patience. Motivated by these aspects of life, Kasun did his Advanced Levels in the Medical stream and, not long after, started studying the art of Ayurvedic Medicine at the Gujarat Ayurvedic University in India.
Going into details about the function of Adhitya, Kasun shared that the core techniques used in the process are “Hela Vedakama” and “Ayurveda” with the theoretical knowledge and practices of Ayurvedic medicine. He also referred to “Naadi Vigyana” (pulse diagnosis) as a very unique diagnosis method used by the Adhitya team. Once their patient’s issue is identified, the treatment schedules can be customized accordingly. “Each and every patient is unique. Hence, rather than offering standard treatments, we offer therapeutic treatments based on the needs of the patients”, added Kasun.
The process at Adhitya runs smoothly with the exceptional in-house therapist team, who are also personally trained by Kasun and his father. The profiles of this team do not just include extravagant knowledge of the subject, but also of patient care and are equipped with the know-how to successfully face any emergency that could come up. However, not just anyone can be on this team, according to Kasun, since the Adhitya team is selected very carefully, giving attention to the depth of value each member holds for Ayurvedic medicine in their hearts. One has got to love and deeply believe in what they do, in order to succeed at anything. These careful methods, he says, are what have led to the success of supplying high-quality therapy and being able to heal patients, which was the original and ultimate plan.
Another special factor of Adhitya is that all the medicine that the team uses or is given to patients is made in-house. According to Kasun, Adhitya owns a subsidiary factory where over 30 people are devoted to this cause. Kasuns’ mother, Nilani Manel De Soysa, takes charge of overseeing this important process, which holds a great portion of what makes Adhitya as exceptional as it is.
Just like the exposure Kasun had when he was a child, his father was also influenced by medicine in his younger days by watching his father and grandmother. Thus, the family runs generations back when it comes to practicing the art of Ayurvedic Medicine. He believes his father’s guidance played a vital role in his presence as a physician today. ‘A patient is a patient. A patient might be poor, rich, arrogant, sulky, innocent, or even be a criminal, but a physician should disregard all those personal attributes, or social status. ’, is one of the most valuable pieces of advice Kasun’s father has given him, which has helped him lead the team to become a caring and trustworthy service provider. He considers curing diseases and saving lives, not merely as a job, but something much higher and divine than that, which is also a moral embedded in him by his father, after whom he takes up the challenge to become a great leader.
His father, a well-known physician in the country, is who Kasun aspires to become. The late-night work and the amount of effort he puts into curing people, along with familiarizing Kasun with the values of Ayurvedic medicine, coupled with the morality and ethical values embedded in this sacred practice, are what have shaped him into who he is today, as a physician and as a person. The focus of Ayurvedic medicine is to find the root cause of an illness as it is a very effective way of curing diseases, allowing the patient to be completely healthy afterward. This approach and deep realization, he believes, has also played a part in his becoming an Ayurvedic physician.
It is Kasun’s great plan to take “helavedakama” to the global stage, and have its effect felt not only in “Rajarata”. Although helavedekama is one of the most effective, valuable, and prestigious practices of medicine, he believes it is still much disregarded when it comes to medicinal methods, and if not protected, will surely become extinct locally in the near future.
Adhitya Ayurveda stands tall as an icon of the success of Helavedakama ayurvedic methods when it comes to the art of healing, and Kasun thus believes that it deserves more attention from the entire world. With over 80 people admitted every day to be treated by the effective methods of Ayurvedic medicine and by the hands of this exceptional team, Adhitya Ayurveda also attracts foreign customers who have been fortunate enough to be treated and cured by the learned and experienced team.
According to Kasun, there are more of them anticipating and looking forward to coming down to Sri Lanka, finding relief from their grievances in the care of the Adhitya team. With this exposure and attention, Kasun says that he believes in a future where he can accomplish his goals of taking helavedakama to global stages in a very short period.
He does not fail to mention the hand his entire family has had in this success story, in different steps. “Adhitya Ayurveda is a collaborative effort of all my family members “, says Kasun. “My two brothers, Dr. Sandun Gunawardhana PhD and Eng Yasas Gunawardhana, contributed largely from the very beginning of the project, and currently they are directly involved with the company’s growth by providing their expertise and knowledge”, he says fondly, undoubtedly giving meaning to the concept of a family business, where the effort of each and everyone counts to its greatest extent.
“The knowledge of health care, modernity, and entrepreneurship are three priceless pillars of business and service enhancements in the healthcare sector “, this iconic and hard-working man shared, on his way to taking the greatness of hela-medicine to shine throughout the world.