Coronavirus: Hong Kong urged to use traditional Chinese medicine more widely for treating Covid-19 patients recovering at home
- Head of a group of experts who arrived in Hong Kong this week says city should follow the ‘easy to use’, ‘easy to implement’, ‘easy to access’ approach to Chinese medicine
- Tong Xiaolin and his team earlier visited two care homes for the elderly to learn about the measures taken in response to the fifth wave of infections
Tong Xiaolin, head of a group of seven Chinese medicine specialists who arrived in Hong Kong earlier in the week, on Saturday evening said the city should implement the “three easies” approach when promoting the use of such treatments.
“‘Easy to use’ means that people who are staying at home will know how to use Chinese medicine … we need to let them understand how to accurately choose and use proprietary Chinese medicine,” Tong said in a media interview.
Another was “easy to implement”, he said, meaning training was standardised for local traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, especially those working in community isolation facilities.
“‘Easy to access’ targets people who are infected with Covid-19 and are staying at home, or those who would like to take proprietary Chinese medicine for prevention, by looking at how they can easily access guidance in using those medications,” Tong said.
He said the approach rode on the principle of “three reductions and one priority”, meaning reductions in infections, severe cases and deaths, while making the elderly the priority.