Integrating T/CM into the health system

Star: WHEN corporate climber Sarah doubled in pain over a shooting pain in her back, she didn't hesitate to book herself a Yoga holiday. Unlike her peers, Sarah who grew up amid her mother's incense and vegetarian diet was a firm believer of alternative healing. The destination was a far-off island in the east of Thailand. The programme was a rigorous, almost austere five-day activity of yoga, meditation and wheatgrass juice.
Rising everyday at dawn and enjoying the sweet air devoid of cell phone beeps and MTV beats did much to calm Sarah's soul. Forget make-up and perfume, everybody was at their barest self and plainest clothes.
Before the emergence of modern medicine, traditional medicine has always been the main source of cure in our country. In a multicultural country, like Malaysia, you can get Chinese, Indian, Malay and even indigenous traditional medicine from almost anywhere.
Today, traditional and complementary medicine (T/CM) remains as an important cure for diseases as well as supplement to maintain good health.
Despite the rising global popularity and widespread use of T/CM, the practice of T/CM in the country is still very much informal and unregulated. Realising the potential for growth in this industry, the government has devised a new approach to the development of T/CM.
This new approach will ensure the quality and safety of T/CM for the consumers through continuous evaluation and formulation of policies with appropriate regulations. Subsequently, the government hopes to integrate T/CM with modern medicine and into the national health system.
Based on the National Policy on T/CM 2001, one of the new approaches is the regulation of T/CM practice to enhance the professionalism and development of practitioners. Hence, practitioners will have to register with one of the T/CM bodies to ensure quality and safe practices.

These practitioners will have to comply with the standards and criteria that have been set by the bodies and endorsed by the MOH. Currently, there are seven T/CM bodies that practitioners can registered with, namely:
# Persekutuan Perubatan Tradisional Melayu Malaysia;
# Federation of Chinese Physician and Medicine-Dealers Association of Malaysia;
# Chinese Physician's Association of Malaysia;
# Federation of Chinese Physician and Acupuncturists Association of Malaysia;
# Pertubuhan Perubatan Tradisional India Malaysia;
# Malaysian Society for Complementary Therapies; and
# Majlis Perubatan Homeopathy Malaysia.

Another approach is the education and training of practitioners in the field of T/CM.
Currently, there is no formalised system of education and training as well as standardization and accreditation of overseas training programmes in the country.
Hence, there is a need to develop proper education and training curriculum for T/CM practitioners.
Commenting on this issue, Dr Ramli Abd Ghani, Director of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Division of the MOH said, “To ensure quality education and training system, we will work with the Ministry of Education and the National Accreditation Board (LAN) to develop the syllabus as well as standards and criteria on T/CM.”
Besides that, the government plans to establish T/CM training programmes with the help of overseas institutions that will further contribute to the development of T/CM in the country. In addition, the MOH plans to visit hospitals and universities in China and India and organise discussion with practitioners from developed countries like the UK and US on the education and training syllabus.
China and India are two countries that have established education and training system in the field of T/CM, in particular the Chinese medicine, acupuncture and ayurveda.
The new approach will also include the development of research on T/CM through collaborative research and development with both local and international health institutes. For instance, collaboration with the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) can be formed to carry out clinical research.
Collaboration can also be formed through bilateral agreement with countries that have been practising T/CM formally in their health system. These collaborative efforts will contribute and boost the development of T/CM in the country.
The government has recently approved the establishment of integrated hospitals, which integrates the practice of T/CM to the current national health system.
The MOH has selected three hospitals to implement this integration, namely Hospital Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang, Hospital Putrajaya, and Hospital Sultan Ismail, Johor. Some of the T/CM practices that would be introduced in phases with these hospitals include acupuncture, reflexology and masseur, just to name a few.
Dr Ramli said: “We are conducting pilot tests on these three integrated hospitals. We will need the appropriate infrastructure to launch it effectively and subsequently incorporate it into the national health system officially.”
“As for the human resources, T/CM practitioners in these hospitals will be hired on a contract basis and must be trained under the MOH.”
Although the government is optimistic on the new approach and plans in the development of T/CM, there are several challenges that may deter the implementation of its plan successfully.
One of the challenges is the cooperation and support from the local T/CM practitioners as well as the modern practitioners in promoting and creating awareness on T/CM in the country.
There is also a need to increase the human resources in the field of T/CM. With the provision of a formalised education and training system on T/CM, the government aims to increase the number of practitioners in the country in the long-term.
When asked about the future direction of T/CM development in the country, Dr Ramli commented:
“I believe that there will be a positive reception on T/CM and its new plans. There is a huge potential to develop T/CM and in the future we hope that it can become a source of income for the country through health tourism.”
Five days later, as Sarah boarded a wooden boat leaving the idyllic island behind, her limber body and glowing skin convinced her to make this getaway an annual event.
Serenity enveloped her. That and a non-aching back.