Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is losing out to western
medicine in the popularity stakes in China, according to an online
survey.
Only 28 percent of the 14,677 respondents to the survey by
China Youth Daily and Tencent.com said they would turn to
TCM first even though 87 percent said they still had faith in the
centuries-old practice.
Half of the respondents who voiced their support for TCM believe
it is an effective cure for many diseases but 27 percent only trust
it because it is "the quintessence of China". As for the future of
TCM, more than 60 percent said they were not optimistic.
A nationwide debate erupted over TCM after an online proposal
was submitted by Zhang Gongyao, a professor at Central South
University, urging China's health authorities to remove TCM
practices from its national health service. It attracted both
support and outrage from thousands of netizens.
Supporters of the proposal labeled traditional Chinese medicine
"unscientific and untrustworthy" and opponents lambasted supporters
for ignoring history.
China's Ministry of Health and State Administration of
Traditional Chinese Medicine have made their opposition to the
proposal.
Health officials said "traditional Chinese medicine is an
inseparable and important component of China's health sector" and
"Chinese medicine has been acknowledged in a growing number of
foreign countries".
The traditional Chinese medicine industry, with a total
production value of nearly 81.026 billion yuan (about US$ 10.125
billion), made up more than a quarter of China's overall medical
industry in 2005.
(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2006)