Lei Jufang: Fully Leverage the Unique Characteristics of Ethnic Medicine to Support Health Poverty Alleviation

　　Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, various regions and departments have thoroughly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important strategic thinking on poverty alleviation and development in the new era. In accordance with the requirements of targeted poverty alleviation and precise poverty reduction, they have placed health-related poverty alleviation work high on their agendas, continuously intensifying their efforts and achieving positive progress. Specifically, since 2012, the central government has allocated a total of 79.4 billion yuan in special central investments to support infrastructure construction at 110,000 health and family planning institutions in impoverished areas, significantly improving the conditions for health and family planning services in these regions. These funds have been used to address and alleviate issues such as difficulties and high costs in accessing medical care, enabling patients to receive advanced medical services right at their doorstep. At the same time, the diagnostic and treatment capabilities of hospitals have been greatly enhanced. However, county-level hospitals still lack strong capacity to treat serious illnesses, resulting in high referral rates outside the county. The burden of preventing and controlling endemic and infectious diseases in impoverished areas remains heavy, and the number of patients with chronic diseases continues to rise year after year, making the problems of falling into poverty due to illness and relapsing into poverty due to illness particularly prominent.

　　Ethnic medicine represents the accumulated wisdom and achievements of various ethnic groups in their struggle against disease. It boasts a complete and distinctive medical science system and plays an important role in preventing and treating diseases, alleviating pain, and enhancing the quality of human life. In health poverty alleviation efforts, we should fully encourage and leverage the role of local traditional medicine as well as the unique strengths and advantages of ethnic medicine.

　　First, leveraging the distinctive features of traditional ethnic medicine in health poverty alleviation can help reduce the financial burden on patients and ease the burden on social security systems. For instance, in treating rheumatic diseases, a Tibetan medicinal bath therapy involves two courses per year, with each course costing roughly 2,000 to 3,000 yuan, resulting in annual expenses of about 6,000 to 7,000 yuan. When receiving treatment at grassroots medical institutions, the state covers approximately 85% of these costs, leaving patients to bear only around 1,000 yuan. In contrast, when rheumatic diseases are treated at large urban hospitals, patients typically undergo multiple courses per year, with each course costing between 20,000 and 30,000 yuan. The state’s reimbursement rate for such treatments is only about 40% to 50%, which not only increases the financial burden on patients but also places a heavier strain on the national medical insurance system.

　　Second, leveraging the distinctive advantages of ethnic medicine in health poverty alleviation can help promote the inheritance of ethnic medicine at the grassroots level. Through apprenticeship-based education and extensive clinical practice, we can ensure the continuation and medical growth of ethnic physicians.

　　Third, leveraging the distinctive strengths of ethnic medicine in health poverty alleviation can help maximize its advantages—from prevention and treatment to rehabilitation. Ethnic medicine has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in areas such as chronic disease rehabilitation, mind-body regulation, and health preservation, and it does not require prolonged hospitalization. By reducing both societal and individual medical expenses, it enables those receiving treatment to develop healthy lifestyle habits, ensuring the durability and long-term effectiveness of therapeutic outcomes.

　　In light of this, it is recommended to carry out extensive pilot programs nationwide and strongly support the establishment of specialized traditional medicine clinics for diseases in which ethnic medicine excels in areas with high disease prevalence. These clinics should be equipped with appropriate medical devices to effectively contribute to health-based poverty alleviation efforts.

　　(Lei Jufang, Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Chairperson of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine)

　　Reporting media: NetEase Finance

　　Report link: http://money.163.com/17/0303/14/CEK2NCHL00258IDE.html