Chinese medicine licensing plan

Overseas and mainland practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine would have to take a licensing exam before being allowed to practise in the SAR under a new proposal.

The chairman of the Preparatory Committee on Chinese Medicine, Dr Daniel Tse Chi-wai, said: 'Even local professionals have to sit for exams before getting registration. Overseas and mainland elites in Chinese medicine have to take the licensing exam. This is not protectionism, the arrangement is to protect the patients.' To boost academic exchanges, a system of temporary limited registration would be set up for overseas and mainland Chinese medicine experts employed by recognised institutions to conduct clinical teaching or research.

Dr Tse urged the Government to set up beds in public hospitals so that patients could be diagnosed by Chinese medicine practitioners.

'This has to be done as soon as possible, to incorporate Chinese medicine into the public health system,' he said.

'Building Chinese medicine hospitals is our ultimate aim, but that has to be done gradually,' he said.