Srilanka, July 26 -- The Ministry of Health has drawn a clear line between professionally supervised Ayurvedic treatment and unverified home remedies, warning that reliance on social media "cures" such as papaya leaf juice could delay life-saving medical care amid the country's escalating dengue crisis.

The Ministry opened a dedicated dengue clinic at the National Ayurveda Teaching Hospital in Borella on Friday, to assist dengue patients under the supervision of certified Ayurvedic physicians. The Director of the hospital, Dr. Parakrama Hemachandra told the Sunday Observer yesterday that the clinic at the Ayurveda Hospital hospital will start treating dengue patients from July 31.

Dr. Hemachandra said complications have developed in de...