Eliyantha Lindsay White may not be a name widely known in India but virtually every contemporary Indian cricketer who has played any form of international cricket may be familiar with his name and his reputation for treating sports injuries and pain.
Dr. White, ‘the miracle doctor from Sri Lanka', as he is known, came into the limelight when a group of Sri Lankan and Indian cricketers, including Lasith Malinga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tilakaratne Dilshan, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Ashish Nehra, reported that he had successfully treated them. The treatment, they said, was over a period of days for sports injuries and associated pain, which had prevented them from taking the field.
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Dr. White is the personal physician of Mahinda Rajapaksa and it was the Sri Lankan President who personally intervened to recommend him to Malinga at a time when the Sri Lankan fast bowler was struggling to recover from a potentially career-threatening injury.
Malinga, who was introduced to Dr. White by Mr. Rajapaksa at the President's official residence, Temple Trees, underwent a five-day herbal treatment called Nila Sashthraya .
“I am not a person to believe in this kind of thing. But it is amazing. I just can't think what happened and how he did it. The pain has gone away,” said Malinga in an interview.
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“I am truly grateful to the President and Dr. White for it is they who have sent me back to the cricket field.”
Indian cricketers Gambhir and Nehra also thanked President Rajapaksa and Dr. White for getting them back on the field in quick time. In their case, it was Dilshan who recommended Dr. White.
Nila Sashthraya is a form of treatment that uses age-old herbs to effectively deal with body pain and tissue damage. Repeated laboratory testing of the medicines used by Dr. White has shown that they do not contain any prohibited substances.
The herbs are from Nepal, India and Bhutan, and Dr. White says they are not easy to procure.
Apparently, his friendship with the President has helped clear a few hurdles.
According to Dr. White, he has cured over 18,000 patients, among them a large number of celebrities.
Asked about the secret of his success, Dr. White says, “As a doctor I always listen to my patients. You cannot jump to conclusions without listening to their problems. So a doctor should spend more time with a patient. They should try to reduce the number of patients they see each day.”
The ‘miracle doctor' is keen on treating more and more Indian patients.
“As President Rajapaksa says, India is not only our friend but also the closest relative,” claims Dr. White.