Foreign reporters curious about Traditional Chinese Medicine treating A/H1N1 flu

Since July 22, 156 of the 327 confirmed A/H1N1 influenza patients at Beijing Ditan Hospital and Beijing Youan Hospital had taken purely traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a means of treatment. Of these, 125 have recovered and returned home. On July 23, more than 70 foreign journalists came to see the purely TCM treatment of the flu.

Numerous cameras focus on Radix isatidis

Tu Zhitao, chief of the technological department at Beijing Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, briefed Chinese and foreign journalists on the use of TCM to prevent and cure A/H1N1 flu. 73 reporters from 35 foreign press agencies, including AP and Reuters, visited Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine to report on the processes involved in using TCM to prevent and cure A/H1N1 flu. Fascinated, foreign journalists pointed their cameras at Folium isatidis and Radix isatidis (types of Woad) in the TCM pharmacy.

During a video conference, scores of Chinese and foreign reporters focused on a 13-year-old girl at Ditan Hospital. “Why do you choose to use TCM for treatment?” said an Austrian female reporter, who asked in Chinese the question that was on most journalists’ minds. “Because my mom gave me TCM to treat my cold when I was little,” the young girl said. The doctor said that the patient was from southern China and had been taking TCM to treat illnesses since she was a child. “She had a mild sore throat when she was admitted but now she has essentially recovered.”

In the medicine-decocting room, 50 machines were automatically decocting the herbs for TCM. The stainless steel pots, which resemble small stoves, aroused curiosity from the foreign reporters. “Is it true that TCM can only prevent, not cure, diseases?” “How effective are the TCM mouth wash and drinks used to prevent the flu?” Jin Mei, vice president of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, answered the questions, saying “TCM can both prevent and cure the flu. Different prescriptions are given at different phases. The TCM mouth wash and drinks are for residents to ward off the flu during the epidemic. A small bag costs less than 1 yuan and users can drink it as a tea for a whole day.”

After the visit, a female German journalist strongly praised TCM, saying “it is so cheap and can prevent and cure disease. I want to buy several bags as presents for my friends.”

Patients placed under home quarantine will receive TCM

Tu said they will deliver the TCM mouth wash and drinks to schools and construction sites. Under the guidance of doctors from class-three hospitals, doctors in communities will deliver medicine to patients placed under home quarantine. Furthermore, an additional 10 million yuan will be invested in TCM research and a training program for TCM doctors will also be put in place.

Translated by LOTO