XN000022-1988-11-16 — Page 46

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1988

ON THE

POSSIBLE

44

OVER-SUPPLY

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT SUBMITTED ITS REPORT TO ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ENSURE THAT THE SUPPLY OF OUTSTRIP LOCAL DEMAND FOR THEIR SERVICES.

OF

DENTISTS, ADVISORY

ON QUALIFIED DENTISTS DID NOT

MR CHAU COMMITTEE RECENTLY STEPS REQUIRED TO CONTINUB TO

SAID A

MEDICINE, THE SECRETARY

GOVERNMENT'S POLICY

OF CHINESE TURNING TO THE QUESTION

IT HAD BEEN SAID THAT FOR OVER 100 YEARS,

ΤΟ

CULTURAL RESPECT THE

AND TRADITIONAL PRACTICE OF PEOPLE OF THE CHINESE RACE, INCLUDING THE PRACTICE OF CHINESE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE.

BEEN SUGGEST

"FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, CHINESE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE HAS EXTENSIVELY AND WIDELY PRACTISED. THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE TO THAT IT HAS POSED A SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD, MR CHAU SAID.

H

REPORTED,

BEEN "WHERE ADVERSE EFFECTS TO PATIENTS HAVE

THESE CHINESE TRADITIONAL HAVE NORMALLY BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE MIXING OF REMEDIES WITH WESTERN DRUGS OR ILLEGAL MEDICAL PRACTICES. SUCH

SUBJECT TO LEGISLATIVE ILLEGAL PRACTICES ARE ALREADY ADDED.

MR CHAU SAID THE IMPLICATIONS INTERVENTION TO CONTROL THE PRACTICE OF CHINESE WOULD BE WIDE-RANGING AND CONSIDERABLE.

CONTROL," HE

GOVERNMENT OF DIRECT

TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

"SO WE MUST BE SURE OF OUR GROUND BEFORE WE TAKE SUCH A HE NOTED.

H

STEP,

THAT WHILE THE

OF EXERCISE

OUT MR CHAU POINT

LEGISLATIVE CONTROL OF WESTERN MEDICINE WAS FEASIBLE BECAUSE REGISTRATION

ESTABLISHED

OF STANDARDS REQUIRED

AND PRACTICE

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, THE TRAINING IN CHINESE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE WAS DIVERSIFIED AND THERE WAS NO UNIFORM OR COMMONLY ACCEPTED STANDARD.

THE PART,

DEPARTMENT

"FOR ITS

MEDICAL AND HEALTH EXPERTISE IN DEALING WITH CHINESE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE.

"IT WOULD THUS BE NECESSARY TO ESTABLISH A BY PEOPLE WITH APPROPRIATE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE CHINESE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE," MR CHAU SAID.

VERY

HAS NO

NEW

IN

BODY, STAFFED THE FIELD OF

AN ENDEAVOUR BY "ONCE AGAIN, WE WOULD BE HANDICAPPED IN SUCH

STANDARDS AGAINST WHICH THE PRESENT LACK OF RECOGNISED PROFESSIONAL

BUT EVEN TO ASSESS NOT ONLY THE QUALITY OF TREATMENT BEING PROVIDED,

HE ADDED. THE EXPERTISE OF THE PEOPLE WHOM WE WOULD NEED TO RECRUIT,

"ANY ATTEMPT TO IMPOSE CONTROL OVER TRADITIONAL MEDICINE WOULD THUS BE AN COMPLICATED AS WELL AS MASSIVE UNDERTAKING,

It

CHINESE

AND

THE PRACTICE OF EXTREMELY DIFFICULT || MR CHAU SAID.

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