Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) will have an important role to play in meeting the healthcare challenges of Singapore's ageing society, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong.

During an international conference on the modernisation of Chinese medicine yesterday, the government official said that acupuncture, for niche areas like pain management and stroke rehabilitation that are now available at public hospitals, makes an important step to a more holistic approach to patient care.

Minister Gan noted that with the increasing demand for TCM treatment in Singapore and rising patients, the integration of three important aspects - education, clinical practice and research - is essential in the modernisation of TCM.

To meet these challenges, the TCM community, he said, must continuously improve on professional standards, strengthen academic research and enhance academic exchange and research cooperation.

As such, to kick start research efforts, the Ministry of Health had ring-fenced $3 million to encourage collaborative clinical research in TCM.

"The focus of such research initiatives should be on conditions which are prevalent in Singapore, such as chronic diseases. TCM professionals can work alongside medical colleagues to improve patient outcomes. I encourage the healthcare community to form effective partnerships to conduct such research," he said.