Wednesday October 8, 2008
TCM gets good response
KUALA LUMPUR: Traditional complementary medicine (TCM) will be introduced in three more government hospitals in Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak next year following the good reception to such treatment at three hospitals that had offered it first.
“In Putrajaya Hospital, you need to make an appointment three months in advance for such a service. In Kepala Batas, more than 4,000 patients had been treated since January,” said Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai.
The other hospital offering it is Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor.
Liow said seven professional bodies were now helping to regulate the 7,570 practitioners.
Alternative medicine: Chinese physician Huang Yi doing the ‘localised tuina’ therapy on Liow in Kuala Lumpur Tuesday. “The public can contact these bodies to ensure that the practitioners are not bogus.”
The bodies are Chinese Physician’s Association of Malaysia, Federation of Chinese Physicians and Medicine Dealers Associations of Malaysia, Federation of Chinese Physicians and Acupuncturists of Malaysia, Persekutuan Perubatan Tradisional Melayu, Pertubuhan Perubatan Tradisional India Malaysia, Majlis Perubatan Homeopathy Malaysia and Malaysian Society for Complementary Therapies.
The Health Ministry is also drafting the Traditional and Complementary Healthcare Practices Act, aimed at regulating the practitioners by validating their qualifications against set standards, compulsory registration and issuance of practising certificates.
Liow said the ministry was launching a voluntary registration next month pending the debate of the Act in Parliament.
“Practitioners can voluntarily register themselves online via the e-Pengamal scheme. When the Act is passed, registration will become compulsory,” he said after launching a wellness programme here.
News Poll
- Teacher held for oral sex on Year Two girl
- Lau sought psychiatrist’s help after death of fan’s dad
- Police shoot dead leader of ‘Berong Gang’
- Australian court sentences Malaysian who posed as taxi driver
- Prime Minister comes up with plan to end crisis in MCA
- Fresh polls in six to eight months if new mechanism used
- Eli’s ex still being sought by cops
- Settle RM57, 5As pupil told High scorer can’t collect result slip
- Ong’s political secretary resigns
- Najib works his charm at Apec leaders meeting and garners top marks
- 10 states see increase in number of dengue cases
- Teacher held for oral sex on Year Two girl
- Australian court sentences Malaysian who posed as taxi driver
- AirAsia launches new flights to three Indian cities
- Take care of yourself first
- Police shoot dead leader of ‘Berong Gang’
- MACC accepts court decision
- Researcher: Faint writing seen on Shroud of Turin
- Education for the real world
- Emi is happy she can go to school
RSS
