00:00More and more people are opting for natural remedies, including in TNT.
00:05Established in 1958, Dengjaman Hospital in Beijing became one of the first traditional Chinese medicine or TCM hospitals in China.
00:13Some of China's highly experienced doctors were used to research the practice and integrate it into the healthcare of patients.
00:22Today, it is one of the elements being used to manage the conditions of the large volumes of patients within
00:27the public healthcare system.
00:28Dengjaman Hospital now boasts 1,600 beds and over 40 clinical departments.
00:35And the hospital's deputy director, Dr. Zhang Yong, provides insight into the outpatient care.
00:41In our hospital, we have almost 3,000 staff here working as our doctors, nurses and also other administration staff
00:51here.
00:52And every year, we have almost 3 million treatment, clinical treatment people here.
01:01TCM functions differently to Western medicine, using natural herbs and movements to treat ailments in the body naturally.
01:09It centers around a Chinese tendon system called JIN, incorporating tendons, ligaments, fascia and muscle sheaths connecting the body.
01:17TCM techniques are used in the treatment for cancer, diabetes, hypertension and many other types of diseases and ailments, headaches,
01:26fever and the list goes on.
01:28Dengjaman Hospital is affiliated with Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and together, they have been leading the scientific research from
01:35both patients' data and animal testing.
01:38And we will test the treatment effects of our herbal medicine, our acupuncture and also the massage and any different
01:47kinds of treatment here.
01:48Director of International Corporation at a university, Dr. Wang Xieqian, says China has been exporting its expertise in TCM.
01:57And now we already set up the cooperation partnership with the 35 countries and also 132 institutions and colleges and
02:13universities.
02:14These include Australia, America, Russia and countries with which China has partnered under the Belt and Road Initiative.
02:21Now, Trinidad and Tobago is the first country in the Caribbean that signed on to the Belt and Road Initiative.
02:28So we asked, what about TCM in Trinidad and Tobago?
02:32Well, we're told for TCM to be exported to countries, it depends upon the regulations in those countries governing that
02:40particular area of TCM.
02:42So at certain points, once TCM is exported without certain regulations, it would have to be tailored to suit the
02:51regulations in that specific country.
02:54Presently, there is no official regulation of TCM in TNT and those who practice some remedies do so without being
03:01licensed by a regulatory board.
03:04TCM practitioners are also seen as being able to recommend certain treatments but do not have the authority to prescribe.
03:11It is a major hurdle to rolling out TCM, including the range of treatments that can be done under this
03:17area of medicine.
03:19In the meantime, Dongjiman Hospital in China remain open to further TCM partnerships.
03:24Medical experts in Beijing say the effects of implementing TCM has been seen through the management of millions upon millions
03:32of different types of medical cases, reducing the public health care burden in China.
03:37So will TCM be introduced to Trinidad and Tobago's public health care system and if so, on what level?
03:45Well, only time will tell.
03:47Reporting from outside Dongjiman Hospital here in Beijing, Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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