FIVE years after the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2016 was gazetted, practitioners have finally received the green light to register with the Health Ministry.

From this month, they can register with the ministry to be legally recognised, a milestone many traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners are celebrating as it will help in weeding out fraudsters, some of them told The Malaysian Insight.

Health Minister Dr Adham Baba last month announced the TCM Regulations 2021 in a federal gazette, which also governs the registration of practitioners.

Based on news reports in the Chinese-language press, TCM practitioners are to register by completing a set of documents and submit them with a RM50 fee.

Registration is not only for Chinese medicine physicians but also for traditional Malay and Indian medical practices, as well as homoeopathy and other complementary therapies.

Federation of Chinese Physicians and Acupuncturists Association of Malaysia president Ng Po Kok said this was a breakthrough for the Chinese medicine industry.

“With regulations and registration, we can gradually reduce the problem of fraud practitioners but this will take time,” Ng said.

This is because the registration will be voluntary for three years, after which enforcement action will be taken.

“Therefore, it will take five to six years to truly reduce the number of fake TCM practitioners in the market.”

As for his association, Ng said once its members are registered and recognised by the ministry, they plan to seek approval from insurance companies to accept claims for TCM, and for medical certificates issued by TCM physicians to be recognised.

“Western medicine sick leave slips are recognised but many do not recognise the Chinese medicine sick leave slips.

“We have tried to get them recognised by the Health Ministry in the past, but the response was that TCM physicians are not recognised.

“As for insurance, many companies reject patients’ claims, only a few companies do but they are few in number.

“We hope to seek insurance recognition to protect consumers and defend the rights and interests of TCM physicians,” Ng said.

Alex Choo Teik Liang, secretary-general of the Federation of Chinese Physicians and Medicine Dealers Associations of Malaysia, said this was good news after nearly 20 years.

He agrees with Ng that recognition will weed out illegal practitioners while protecting consumers.

“In the long run, I believe it will be a good thing,” Choo said.

Image boost

Federal Territory and Selangor Chinese Drug Dealers Association president Loh Kim Fong said the move will boost the professional image of the TCM industry and strengthen consumers’ confidence.

“We are in favour of the regulations set by the government because the industry should be regulated, which can enhance the competitiveness of Chinese medicine.

“For example, doctors who do not meet the academic qualifications will have the chance to apply for training courses provided by the Health Ministry.”

Loh also believes that with regulations in place, Chinese TCM physicians prone to exaggerating their claims of treatment and healing must now be more careful when providing consultation.

“Some do like to exaggerate, but under the regulations, they can’t make guarantees to the patient that they can’t deliver. So, practitioners have to be more careful.”

Loh also hopes for progress on some issues that Chinese TCM physicians have had, such as the ministry’s prohibition on the use of blood pressure monitors in their practice.

He said his association has held dialogues with the ministry and conveyed concerns about this rule.

“The ministry only allows the use of blood pressure monitors in Western medicine. But we have said that blood pressure devices are needed to better understand a patient’s blood pressure and we hope that this rule can be relaxed.” Loh said.

Ng said the authorities must ensure that the registration process is carried out smoothly.

He recommends that registrations be done online, rather than by paper and post, and for the ministry to go on a publicity blitz as he fears many TCM practitioners would be unaware of the need to register. – March 10, 2021.