Italy's health minister said she would do more to promote
traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in her country and within the
EU.
Livia Turco said in an interview with China Daily
yesterday: "Italy will issue licenses to TCM practitioners in the
near future."
TCM treatment is an effective and necessary alternative to
Western medicine in Italy, Turco said.?
"It is in our common interest to promote TCM among our people
and to have registered TCM practitioners. TCM will provide new
medical treatments to people in Italy as well as in other parts of
the world."
The popularity of ancient Chinese medical treatments has
increased in Italy in recent years, she said. "A lot of Italians
have received TCM treatment."
However, doctors in Italy who practice TCM still work on
temporary licenses, and the country has not yet developed standards
or regulations for its practice, the minister said.
To meet the growing interest in Chinese medicine, universities
in Rome, Milan and Florence are offering postgraduate courses in
TCM.
The one-year course includes a 60-day internship at Nanjing
University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and their degrees will
be recognized in China after they pass the examinations.
Turco said she would push for the commercialization of TCM drugs
in the European market. She made these comments as she inaugurated
a laboratory for TCM medication in north China's Tianjin on
Tuesday.
(China Daily January 18, 2007)
