Controversial spiritual healer Eliyantha White passed away at a private hospital in Colombo this evening.

White was receiving treatment at the hospital for COVID19 for more than two weeks.

White was also considered to be the personal physician of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Sources familiar with the matter said White was in critical condition due to health complications.

He was initially instrumental in using "spiritial practices" to treat COVID19 during the previous waves. This came under severe criticism from many quarters on the grounds that White's practices had no scientific basis.