Forum: TCM practitioners can step up their game and contribute more to society
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As a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner who has been practising in Singapore for almost a decade, I am heartened by what Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said at the Public Free Clinic Society’s 50th anniversary dinner (Traditional Chinese medicine could play a role in Healthier SG: Ong Ye Kung, Oct 27).
I believe practitioners of TCM, which touts preventive care, can help to lighten the burden on our fellow medical and allied health colleagues working at hospitals and polyclinics.
I have been trained in biomedical sciences, which lets me serve as a bridge to Western medicine practitioners, and also between patients and Western medicine. And being TCM-trained lets me use acupuncture, manual techniques and herbal formulae to speed up patients’ recovery.
However, I have always felt like I was being left out of a bigger team when it came to the rehabilitation of patients with more complicated conditions such as stroke.
Hence, I welcome the accreditation framework that Mr Ong referred to in his speech, if it will allow TCM practitioners to work more closely with our Western medicine counterparts.
He also mentioned that there are more than 3,400 registered TCM practitioners in Singapore, of whom about 65 per cent are actively practising. That leaves at least 1,000 who are qualified but are not currently helping to lighten the healthcare load.
These individuals may be former licensed practitioners who do not have a valid practising certificate. They would need to clock 50 Continuing Professional Education points within two years to “reactivate” their practising certificate.
Perhaps something can be done to tap this group by streamlining the process for them to rejoin the pool of active practitioners.
The quality of TCM in Singapore also has to improve. Nanyang Technological University conferring its own Chinese medicine degree means TCM research can be done in Singapore for Singapore.
Ultimately, the goal is to keep patients under our care from developing more serious conditions. To achieve that, pro-practice regulations, skills upgrading and high-quality research have to come together.
I urge anyone passionate about TCM and healthcare to work together with healthcare, medical and TCM practitioners alike to build an ecosystem that would let them step up their game and contribute more to society.
Lim Jing Yang
