《文化对比阅读》(下) 1 Medicine 3 Dilemma of Integration with Western Medicine.docVIP

Dilemma of integration with Western medicine Tai Pong Lam, Kai Sing Sun The values of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are increasingly being recognized by scientific studies. A systematic review showed that the prevalence of the use of CAM ranged from 9% to 65% in different parts of the world. Herbal treatments and alternative therapies may lead to fewer side effects and enhance acceptance by patients. The World Health Organization advocated in 2021 that the communication between conventional and traditional medicine providers should be strengthened. The WHO Member States are encouraged to take steps to integrate CAM into their healthcare systems. In Hong Kong, apart from attending Western-trained doctors, about 15—20% of the general public also consult Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners. The utilization of TCM is less common than that of Mainland China, where one third of the public choose services from TCM practitioners which accounts for 1.3 billion out-patient visits per year. TCM has been practiced in China for over 2000 years and is a major type of CAM nowadays. It is fundamentally based on the theory of yin/yang and zang fu organ equilibrium. These theories emphasize the balance of body, mind and spirit. Yin/yang represents a pair of body states which are complementary rather than totally opposite each other. Similar to most Western countries, the medical services in Hong Kong are highly dominated by Western medicine. Due to the historical reasons of colonization in the 19th century, Hong Kong was under the British administration for about 150 years until 1997. This favored the development of Western medicine. However, there is an improved status of TCM in Hong Kong after the handover of sovereignty from the UK to China in 1997. The supports from the post-colonial Government have facilitated the formal registration, licensing examination, introduction of TCM services into the public healthcare system, and the launch of 5-year TCM u