Developing TCM focuses on policy implementation

â–¡Reporter Wang Dan Sun Mengâ–¡

In this year's government work report, the discussion on the part of Chinese medicine has changed from "vigorously supporting Chinese medicine" in the past year to "vigorously developing traditional Chinese medicine and implementing various supporting policies." During the two sessions, Wang Guoqiang, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, deputy minister of the Ministry of Health, and director of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine pointed out during an exclusive interview with this reporter that the vigorous development of traditional Chinese medicine and ethnic medicine is closely related to the implementation of various supporting policies.

Put the "Opinions" into Practice

Wang Guoqiang believes that although the five key reforms of the medical reform do not include the specific content of the development of Chinese medicine, the State Council issued the “Several Opinions on Supporting and Promoting the Development of the Traditional Chinese Medicine” and proposed that the Chinese medicine and ethnic medicine participate in the medical reform. Specific requirements.

“For example, in the aspect of equalization of public health services, it is emphasized that preventive health care services for Chinese medicine should be included in public health projects; in the construction of basic drug systems, traditional Chinese medicines, proprietary Chinese medicines, and Chinese herbal medicines should be included in the list of essential medicines; reforms in public hospitals should be encouraged. China stressed that public hospitals must formulate compensation and subsidy mechanisms that are conducive to the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine."

Wang Guoqiang said that the work that is urgently needed is to implement the “Opinions” as local policies and turn them into concrete measures to support the development of Chinese medicine, so that ordinary people can enjoy the benefits brought by Chinese medicine. "And this process requires the support of all levels of government."

Public Hospital of TCM wants to walk with "two legs"

How can public hospitals maintain the unique advantages of Chinese medicine in the reform of public hospitals? Wang Guoqiang said that he must walk with "two legs." First, the government needs to give appropriate support and compensation, especially in the case of the same compensation mechanism for public medical institutions in China and the West. The focus of compensation should be different and the proportion of compensation should be tilted toward Chinese medicine. The second is to properly adjust the price of traditional Chinese medicine services and establish a reasonable price system that embodies the value of medical services for medical personnel.

Wang Guoqiang said that taking advantage of the characteristics of Chinese medicine in public hospitals is the prerequisite for compensation. Beijing evaluates the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine and other indicators for public hospitals to perform performance assessments and give public hospitals a model for compensation, which is worth promoting across the country. Wang Guoqiang frankly stated that due to the differences in financial resources and policy orientations in various localities, it is still difficult to truly promote and apply the “Beijing experience”, and it is necessary to gradually adapt to local conditions.

Western medicine practitioners should be trained to use proprietary Chinese medicines

Some members pointed out that at present, more than 70% of China's proprietary Chinese medicines are prescribed by Western doctors. Western doctors often do not have the thinking habits of Chinese medicine in differentiating syndromes, making the final treatment ineffective. In response, Wang Guoqiang said that last year, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine issued the Guiding Principles for Clinical Application of Chinese Patent Medicines (Consultation Draft). The purpose is to popularize and publicize the concepts and methods of TCM syndrome differentiation and to guide non-Chinese medicine practitioners to use Chinese proprietary medicines correctly. .

Wang Guoqiang believes that general hospitals should give overall training to hospital doctors in the hospital regarding the rational use of proprietary Chinese medicines. In addition, during the cultivation of grass-roots general practitioners, it is also necessary to include teaching courses in Chinese medicine knowledge. "Traditional Chinese medicine is actually the best general practice. In the past, some 'barefoot' doctors were able to treat common and frequently-occurring diseases with a needle and a handful of grass. They benefited from the integration of Chinese and Western medicine, and only in this way can they really meet the basic level. The needs of the masses. This should be a model with Chinese characteristics."