Guangzhou records annual 10-20% rise of overseas TCM patients

A hospital in Panyu, Guangzhou, records an annual rise of 10-20%, in the number of Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign patients

receiving traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment since 2023. Despite obstacles, the hospital hopes Chinese medicine can go global.

This day, Tanya from Russia is giving birth to her second child at Guangdong Clifford Hospital.

She said that when she had her first child, she received Chinese medicine postpartum care, which relieved her pain.

Tanya, a patient said "I had lower back pain and I had acupuncture because I wanted to continue breastfeeding my baby and didn't want to take medicine

Adjust my back in a natural way and I really liked it."

Ivie, who is from Nigeria and lives in Australia, was diagnosed with uterine fibroids. She flew to Guangzhou to receive treatment, with the help of a translator.

"I had been given multiple options, everything was a surgery, I have been researching traditional Chinese medicine, I like TCM's philosophy because it's ancient

and it's shown over time that it does work."

The hospital said that as of the end of August this year, nearly 50,000 visits were made by patients from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign countries,

to receive Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment, which is a five-year high.

However, the hospital said there are still difficulties for Chinese medicine to go global.

Liang Ying, Director of TCM Clinic of the hospital explains that due to laws and regulations,some Chinese medicine cannot be exported.

For example, in the United States, Chinese medicine can only be exported as agricultural by-products.

So doctors overseas can only rely on acupuncture and Chinese massage to correct patients' conditions. She describes this phenomenon as "walking on one leg".

The hospital said it will make use of international medical tourism platforms, health talks for foreign companies and international schools, to promote Chinese medicine.

For the convenience of patients, the hospital provides Chinese medicine pre-boiling service.

Patients can take these packets home, reheat them and drink them.