107140113525557045

Consider alternative medicines, says Chua

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12: Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng today called on medical specialists and practitioners in Malaysia not to turn off their minds to alternative
medicine.

Praising those who had included alternative medicine in their practice, he said the different modes of medicine could fill the gap that Western medicine could not cure.

“International pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline has revealed that pharmaceutical drugs for various illnesses, including cancer, are effective for only 30 to 50 per cent of patients due to the different genetic make-up of people.

“This shows that between 50 and 70 per cent of the people will not benefit from Western medicines, which are very advanced and able to cure many diseases,” he said after meeting with Phang Man Vui, nine, who suffers from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, at his office.

The terminally sick boy had exhausted all forms of western medicines to treat his illness. Now, his case will be referred to a team of experts in modern and traditional medicine in China.

In this respect, Chua stressed the need for Malaysia to integrate modern and traditional medicines.

It was reported that 123 of the 191 countries registered with World Health Organisation (WHO) had reported an increased use of traditional medicine.

Studies in developed countries such as Britain, Australia, the United States and Belgium have shown that 30 per cent of their medical practitioners were using traditional medicine.

Chua said the traditional medicine industry in China was far more advanced compared with Malaysia’s own sector, which was still “in the first milestone”.

Asked if the ministry would allow the selling of traditional medicines from China with the endorsement only of the Chinese Government, he said all foreign traditional medicinal products were subject to Malaysian authorities’ evaluation, studies, clinical trials and approval.

On the Fujian Flu outbreak, he said the ministry did not receive any recommendation from WHO to check travellers at the country’s entry points for such illness.