Chongqing - Southwest China's Chongqing announced Friday to launch a series of programs to implement its five-year plan (2023—2027) for the revitalization and development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
On December 28, the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission convened a press conference, which involved an insightful overview of the current landscape of TCM development within the city alongside a strategic outline of focal points for future endeavors in this field.
On December 28, the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission holds a press conference on major programs to revitalize traditional Chinese medicine from 2023 to 2027. (Photo/Li Xinyi)
Achieving district-wide coverage
Zhao Yong, Deputy Director of the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission and the Chongqing Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, illuminated the progress and forward-looking strategies for TCM services in Chongqing.
Presently, Chongqing boasts an impressive network of 193 TCM hospitals. This network comprises 22 tertiary and 19 secondary public TCM hospitals, marking a significant milestone with comprehensive coverage in all administrative districts and counties.
Remarkably, 80% of Chongqing’s comprehensive and specialized hospitals now house TCM departments. Furthermore, an overwhelming majority of community health centers (92%) and township health clinics (99%) offer TCM services. This widespread availability has effectively established a “15-minute urban and 30-minute rural TCM service radius,” ensuring accessible TCM healthcare within the city and its rural outskirts.
At the Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic in Qiannjiang District, a skilled TCM therapist expertly administers moxibustion therapy to a patient. (Photo/Chongqing Daily)
To enhance the TCM healthcare infrastructure, Chongqing is ambitiously planning to establish two national and regional medical centers and two national TCM specialty hospitals. The city aims to achieve a significant benchmark by 2027: to operate no fewer than 16 tertiary TCM hospitals and ensure every district and county has access to secondary TCM hospitals.
In addition, Chongqing is nurturing a robust TCM sector by developing 25 national TCM specialty departments, 50 municipal-level renowned TCM departments, and 100 municipal-level key TCM specialty departments. All secondary and higher-level public TCM hospitals are set to establish preventive medicine departments. This initiative is complemented by an ambitious target of achieving 90% coverage for rehabilitation departments and 60% for geriatric departments.
Integration into medical insurance
The plan is strategically designed to catalyze a comprehensive reform in the realm of TCM.
Central to its objectives is the integration of TCM medical service programs and particular diseases into the medical insurance reimbursement framework, thereby establishing a harmonized reimbursement model that encompasses both TCM and Western medical treatments for identical ailments.
Chen Honggang, Director of the Medical Services Management Department at the Chongqing Medical Insurance Bureau, shed light on the extensive range of the National Reimbursement Drug List. This list encompasses a total of 3,088 drugs, including 1,390 Chinese patent medicines and 892 Chinese herbal medicines. Notably, Chongqing has augmented this list with an additional 201 Chinese herbal medicines and 87 hospital-prepared formulations. Impressively, out of the 357 TCM programs in Chongqing, a substantial 319 ones are already under the umbrella of medical insurance coverage.
In a significant move to bolster the TCM framework, Chongqing’s medical insurance scheme now includes hospital-prepared formulations used by medical institutions within its reimbursement scope.
Furthermore, the policy has been revised to lower the threshold for medical insurance reimbursement for TCM medical institutions. It also enhances the reimbursement rates for TCM treatments and Chinese medicines, marking an increase of 2% for employee medical insurance and a substantial 10% for urban and rural resident medical insurance.
Cultivating talent
The plan significantly emphasizes enhancing TCM talent cultivation in Chongqing.
Central to its vision is the TCM Specialty Talent Training Program, aimed at developing top-tier national leaders in the field and fortifying foundational talent training programs.
A key element of this initiative is the high-standard development of the Chongqing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This institution is dedicated to advancing crucial TCM disciplines, notably TCM dermatology and pharmacology.
Chongqing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Photo/Visual Chongqing)
As the sole independent TCM undergraduate institution in Chongqing, the Chongqing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine recently celebrated its inauguration, welcoming an inaugural class of 1,200 students. The college currently offers six undergraduate majors, including traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese pharmacy, and more, and is poised for further enhancements in its academic offerings.
The college is steadfast in its dedication to cultivating diverse talents, focusing on developing “teachers skilled in treatment, doctors proficient in teaching, and scientists adept at educating.” Furthermore, the college is set to implement an innovative “three types of mentors” system designed to provide students with comprehensive guidance and expertise. This initiative underscores the college’s ambition to be recognized as a prestigious and high-caliber institution in TCM education at the national level.
Establishing herbal medicine industrial belts
The plan is strategically focused on elevating the quality of Chinese herbal medicines and advancing their cultivation with modern techniques.
Positioned as a pivotal national hub for Chinese herbal medicine production, Chongqing proudly encompasses 63.4% of the commonly used Chinese herbal medicines as cataloged in the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China.
In Donghu Village of Nanchuan District, Yuchen Traditional Chinese Medicine Planting Cooperative farmers are harvesting Jinsi Huangju (Golden Silk Imperial Chrysanthemum) at the Lixianghu Medicinal Herb Planting Base. (Photo/Chongqing Daily)
By the close of 2023, it is anticipated that Chongqing’s Chinese herbal medicine cultivation will expansively cover 3.016 million mu (200,933 hectares), generating an impressive output of 1.045 million tons and achieving an estimated market value of 11.48 billion yuan (1.71 billion U.S. dollars).
Central to this plan is the strategic enhancement of the Chinese herbal medicine industry’s layout, focusing on bolstering the supply chain of medicinal materials and steering the sector towards a digitally integrated, networked, and intelligently modernized transformation.
This initiative is poised to establish distinct and advantageous herbal medicine industrial belts in regions like the northeastern Three Gorges Reservoir area, the southeastern Wuling Mountain area, and the western zones, substantially boosting the industry’s overall concentration and competitive edge in the market.