Story by Jonathan Marerwa in Beijing
MEDIA practitioners from Africa have been urged to help conscientise citizens of their respective countries about the benefits of using Traditional Chinese Medicines(TCM).
The call was made by a counsellor in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Song Changqing, this Friday during an address to 23 media practitioners from Africa who were visiting the Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.
Counselor Song disclosed that the Chinese government has been sending medical teams to Africa since the 1960s to provide health care services, adding that every team compromises of one or two TCM practitioners.
He noted that TCM is proving to be very popular in Africa and globally, as evidenced by the numbers that are seeking help from the doctors.
During the same event, Li Jinyu, the Vice-President of the Dongzhimen Hospital, said the institution which was founded in 1958 is a large scale General Class A Tertiary Chinese Medicine Hospital integrating medical treatment, teaching and research.
He revealed that as the cradle for clinical education of TCM, the hospital has sent tens of thousands of outstanding practioners to 79 countries and regions of the world adding that he hopes the practice will bring more benefits to the health of Chinese and African people.
The Director of the Office of Faculty Affairs and also Director of the Faculty Development Centre, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Gong Yanbing, who also spoke during the event, said he hopes the media practitioners invited by the China International Press Communication Centre will bring the unique benefits of TCM back to their respective countries thereby truly fostering mutual understanding between peoples and promoting cultural exchanges.
He said by so doing, it is one way of contributing to building a high level China -Africa Community with a shared future.
