Three more TCM centres by year’s end

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PORT DICKSON: Three more traditional complementary medicine (TCM) centres will be opened by the end of this year.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the centres would be located at the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital in Kuala Terengganu, Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan and the Sarawak General Hospital.

“We are serious about TCM. Our target is to eventually have such centres at all hospitals in the country,” he said after laying the foundation stone for a new TCM centre at the Port Dickson Hospital here yesterday.

The other hospitals which already have TCM centres are the Putrajaya Hospital, Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Baru and the Kepala Batas Hospital in Penang.

Liow said TCM – which included acupuncture, ayurvedic and traditional treatment for cancer and stroke patients – was gaining popularity in the country, based on the number of patients.

He said as of last month, some 1,300 patients sought acupuncture treatment with 10,000 follow-up visits, while 1,800 more received traditional massage treatment with some 7,000 receiving follow-up treatment.

“To ensure TCM practitioners are qualified, we will vet their credentials and require them to be registered with the ministry.

“We will also have a special scheme for them once the relevant laws are gazetted,” he said, adding that he would table a bill in Parlia- ment early next year for the purpose.

“We will only allow traditional practitioners who can back-up their claims with scientific research and proven results to be registered,” he said.

Citing an example, he said the ministry would not allow bomoh to register as TCM practitioners if their style of treatment was solely based on jampi (reciting of verses).

“TCM practitioners must be able to give us tangible proof that their treatment works,” he said.

Liow said his ministry would also produce a curriculum on traditional Islamic medicine as a reference for traditional Malay medicinal healers.