April 25, 2017: Further promoting the concept of ‘Pharmacy Wellness and Beauty’ in Sri Lanka, Healthguard opened its newest full service store for the public in Thimbirigasyaya recently. The newly-established outlet is the 23rd of the country’s premier pharmaceutical retail chain.

The Healthguard is a fully-owned subsidiary of Sunshine Healthcare Lanka (SHL) – the Healthcare arm of the diversified Sunshine Holdings conglomerate with interests in several key sectors of Sri Lankan business including agriculture, FMCG, renewable energy and consumer packaging.

The opening ceremony which took place on the Group’s 50th anniversary was graced by G. Sathasivam, Founder of Sunshine Holdings PLC, Munir Shaikh, Group Chairman of Sunshine Holdings PLC, Vish Govindasamy, Group Managing Director of Sunshine Holdings PLC, Shyam Sathasivam, Managing Director of Sunshine Healthcare Lanka, along with other company officials and distinguished guests.

Speaking at the opening, Shyam Sathasivam, Managing Director of Sunshine Healthcare Lanka said, “Since its inception in 2004, Healthguard has become a leading service brand in Sri Lanka’s health sector. Our aim is to set a benchmark in healthcare retailing in the country while creating more and more one stop shops for pharmaceuticals, wellness and personal needs. Our novel concept of promoting beauty and wellness has disrupted the business model of a traditional pharmacy. Rather than narrowing ourselves to just pharmaceuticals, we are driven to serve our customers with different offerings, solutions and formats to enhance their beauty and wellness shopping experience. Each full service store offers a wide assortment of brands in cosmetics, perfumes, personal care, skin treatments, medical devices, mother and baby care products, supplements etc. The new store format has been designed for convenience while offering consumers an enriched shopping experience.

Leading the market as Sri Lanka’s most modern retail pharmacy chain, Healthguard’s business model is focused on creating value, expanding choice and delivering superior service to customers. Building on the immense brand loyalty and goodwill generated by Healthguard’s breakthrough business model, the Company plans to rapidly expand its footprint across the Western Province, extending its customer touch-points to a total of 35 stores within the next two years.

Sunshine Healthcare Lanka (SHL) established in 1967 is the partner of choice for international healthcare companies seeking to grow their business in Sri Lanka, in the areas of pharmaceuticals, surgicals, diagnostics, medical devices and consumer health products. SHL is a leading market expansion services provider, with the largest specialized healthcare team, with over 300 medical marketing & sales personnel, 200 physical distribution personnel and annual revenue of US$ 48 Million for FY16.

Osteoarthritis, which causes pain and joint stiffness, impacts a significant proportion of the Sri Lankan population and is a leading cause of disability mainly among women. The disease is characterized by degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint as well as bone overgrowth. Disease onset is gradual and usually begins after the age of 40.

The treatment of knee Osteoarthritis is still a challenge due to the poor self-regeneration capacity of cartilage. Nonsurgical interventions such as weight control, symptomatic treatments (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), prolotherapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy have been sought after for the treatment of knee Osteoarthritis to increase tissue healing and to slow down the progression of degeneration.

Being the pioneer in Sri Lanka to introduce platelet-rich plasma (PRP) knee rehabilitation therapy, the Durdans Orthopaedics medical team utilizes a comprehensive technique which includes a combination of healing factors to treat many orthopedic conditions, including knee Osteoarthritis and other soft tissue injuries involving tendons and ligaments. PRP is commonly used in conjunction with Stem Cell Therapy. The number of injections and length of time needed for the regenerative healing process vary based on the extent of the injury.

“PRP injections cause positive, beneficial, and healing cellular changes in the joint environment. These changes help move the knee from degenerative knee disease to a healing and regenerating knee joint. Healing includes: regeneration of articular cartilage, increasing the volume of natural knee lubricants, and waking up the stem cells present in the knee to assist in the transformation to healing environment. This treatment is ideal for patients who want to avoid surgery and the resulting downtime,” said Dr. Ashan Abeywardena, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Durdans.

In addition to the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, arthroscopically assisted procedures which only require small incisions are also available at Durdans Centre for Orthopaedics, giving both professional athletes and sports enthusiasts another mean to get back to their chosen activities more quickly.

For more information about Durdans Centre for Orthopaedics Services, call 011 2 140 000 or 077 3 420 809.

Certain holidays are known for their sweet treats, and Avurudu is one of the biggest. Though the Avurudu Kama Mesayas with trays of delicious sweetmeats and other tasty treats are dearly loved, the damage they can cause to a smile is undeniable.

Children are no different than most of us this time of year; they eat more sweets and snacks than usual, and healthy habits are at risk of falling by the wayside. During the holiday season, a child’s usual schedule is often disrupted by travel, visitors, and changes in school schedule. This can impact their healthy routine for brushing too.

“There is a continuing need for us as a population to understand that, the increase in consumption of sugary foods and drinks is one of the fundamental reasons for dental decay in children. Dental caries or Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of childhood. Dental caries, periodontal diseases, and other oral conditions, if left untreated, can lead to pain, infection, and loss of function. These undesirable outcomes can adversely affect learning, interfere with eating and adequate nutritional intake, speaking, self-esteem, and daily activities.” said Dr. Madhanga Chandrasekara, Resident Dental Surgeon at Durdans Hospital.

Durdans believes in the importance of having a dental practice where children can have an ongoing relationship with the dentist to ensure comprehensive, accessible and coordinated care in a family-centered way. The team at Durdans Dental Care focuses a lot of attention on parent education and advocate for healthy eating habits since diet and nutrition play such an integral role in dental health.

Dental care is available to children and adults at Durdans all year round. Durdans dental services include preventive and restorative care; treatment of periodontal (gum) disease, extractions, fillings, crowns, bridges and implants; oral surgery, emergency care, and correction of misaligned teeth or Orthodontics.

Starting the New Year with healthy dental habits will go a long way to protect your child’s teeth and keep them healthy for years to come. Help your kids enjoy the New Year with a beautiful, healthy smile with a visit to Durdans Dental Clinic. To schedule an appointment, call 011 2 140 000 or 077 3 420 809 today.