How traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine could be combined in Hong Kong hospitals

As traditional Chinese medicine gains recognition around the world, Hong Kong is taking steps to integrate it into its healthcare system beyond just acupuncture

The city’s first Chinese medicine hospital will open in 2025 and more young people are studying TCM, but clinical research is needed and regulations must be met

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Acupuncture is the most common form of traditional Chinese medicine in use at Hong Kong hospitals. The city is taking steps to more fully integrate TCM into its healthcare system, but there are some challenges to overcome. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:15am, 29 May 2024

Hong Kong is keen to integrate traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) into its healthcare system, although regulatory barriers and the need for clinical research remain challenges, according to TCM experts from Hong Kong and mainland China.

At the Asia Summit on Global Health, held in Hong Kong earlier this month, educators, researchers and medical practitioners discussed TCM’s role in contemporary medical treatment.

TCM has been gaining greater recognition worldwide both in clinical practice and as a focus of scientific research, says Xu Hongxi, a professor at the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

“A decade ago, studies on TCM were rarely found in top scientific journals, but now there are quite a few articles on TCM in those journals,” he says.

Xu Hongxi, a professor at the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Photo: Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

In November, 2023, an article in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology titled “The role and mechanism of TCM in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases” concluded: “The significance of Chinese herbal medicines in the context of infectious diseases should not be underestimated; however, it is crucial to also acknowledge their underutilisation.”