The government would protect Taiwan’s traditional Chinese medicine industry and promote its expansion into international markets, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday.
Its successful use in combating COVID-19 deaths has demonstrated the potential that traditional Chinese medicine developed in Taiwan has in international markets, and the government would ensure the quality of the medicine produced, she said.
Tsai was speaking an event in Taipei marking the 92nd anniversary of the founding of the National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine.
Photo: CNA
The institute was responsible for the development of a traditional Chinese medicine formula called Taiwan Chingguan Yihau (清冠一號), or NRICM101, which it was granted permission to export in 2020.
Tsai thanked Chinese Medical Doctors’ Association secretary-general Ko Fu-yang (柯富揚) for his work on Chingguan Yihau.
Ko has developed a treatment program that integrates traditional Chinese medicine and conventional medicine, demonstrating how the two can be used concurrently to treat serious illnesses, she said.
The government is working on building a long-term treatment program for elderly people that incorporates traditional Chinese medicine, she said.
“Taiwan is an aging society, and elderly Taiwanese trust traditional Chinese medicine,” she said.
The government last year commissioned the development of targeted traditional Chinese medicine treatment plans for common health problems such as diabetes, breast cancer and high blood pressure, she said.
“We are also doing more to ensure the quality of traditional Chinese medicine products by inspecting materials at customs, and conducting random market inspections,” she said.
At the same time, the government is offering assistance to traditional Chinese medicine manufacturers who are interested in expanding to international markets, she said.
For example, the government is cooperating with countries targeted by the New Southbound Policy to have traditional Chinese medicine produced in Taiwan made available to physicians in those countries, Tsai said.
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