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Committee Member Lei Jufang: Leveraging the Unique Advantages of Ethnic Medicine in Health Poverty Alleviation
Release time:
2017-03-05 13:27
“Ethnic medicine plays an important role in preventing and treating diseases, alleviating pain, and improving 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 distinctive advantages of ethnic medicine.” Lei Jufang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Chairperson of Tibet Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Co., Ltd., suggested that we should carry out extensive pilot programs nationwide and strongly support the establishment of specialized traditional medicine clinics for diseases with distinctive ethnic medical advantages in regions where these diseases are highly prevalent, equipping them with appropriate medical equipment to effectively contribute to health poverty alleviation.
Since 2012, the central government has allocated a total of 79.4 billion yuan in special central investments to support infrastructure development at 110,000 health and family planning institutions in poverty-stricken areas, significantly improving healthcare and family planning service conditions in these regions and enabling patients to access high-tech medical services right at their doorstep. However, county-level hospitals still lack sufficient capacity to treat serious illnesses, resulting in high referral rates outside the county. Moreover, the burden of preventing and controlling endemic and infectious diseases in poverty-stricken areas remains heavy, and the number of patients with chronic diseases is increasing year by year, making the problems of falling into poverty due to illness and relapsing into poverty due to illness still quite prominent.
Lei Jufang stated that leveraging the distinctive features of traditional ethnic medicine in health poverty alleviation can help reduce the financial burden on patients and ease the strain on social security safety nets. 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 pay only around 1,000 yuan out-of-pocket. 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 greater pressure on the national medical insurance system.
Leveraging the distinctive advantages of ethnic medicine in health poverty alleviation can help promote the inheritance of ethnic medicine at the grassroots level. Through mentorship-based education and extensive clinical practice, we can ensure the continuation and medical growth of ethnic physicians.
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 long-term hospitalization. By reducing both societal and individual medical expenses, ethnic medicine enables those receiving treatment to adopt healthy lifestyle habits, ensuring the durability and long-term effectiveness of therapeutic outcomes.
Reporting media: China Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Report link: http://www.cntcm.com.cn/zhuanti/2017-03/05/content_27180.htm
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