BANGKOK (July 1) XINHUA - The Thai government has recognized the legitimacy of the traditional Chinese medicine, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Korn Dabbaransi announced here Saturday.

"The government has ruled that the traditional Chinese medicine is a legal and widely-accepted medicine science and treatment," he said at the annual meeting of the Thai-Chinese Health Cooperation Committee, which is held here Saturday.

The decision was based on the satisfactory result of past five years' trial of standard medical services of the traditional Chinese medicine, which was conducted with the cooperation of Thai and Chinese medical institutions, he said.

Zhang Wenkang, Chinese health minister who led a Chinese medicine delegation attending the meeting, welcomed the move as a "wise decision."

"The preservation and promotion of the traditional medicine now is a common opinion of most countries in the world," he remarked, "and Thailand showed its respect to the science and the will of its people by making this decision."

He reiterated China's firm support to help Thailand to develop a center of study, education and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine in Southeast Asia.

With the traditional Chinese medicine becoming legal in Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health is now passing a regulation on licensing of traditional Chinese medicine, Korn disclosed.

The applicants for the temporary traditional Chinese medicine license, which will be valid for two years, must pass professional and ethical training and the evaluation of the Traditional Medicine Committee, he stated.

With a large number of applicants expected, the official said the evaluation must be strict, in order to prevent unqualified persons to conduct traditional Chinese medicine in the country.

Another problem is the standardization of traditional Chinese medicine.

Xie Qiangming, a Thai Chinese and one of the first four Thai doctors who got the license of traditional Chinese medicine, told Xinhua at the meeting that there are still lots of improvements for traditional Chinese medicine to achieve in Thailand.

"Until now, many Thai people think that a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine can treat any disease, and this need to be changed, "he said.

However, he said, by imposing certain regulations, traditional Chinese medicine in Thailand will become more standardized and specialized, just like modern western medicine.

　　(From HealthWorld Online)