Kota Kinabalu: The team of Covid-19 medical experts from China emphasised the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of the disease, said Deputy Health Minister II Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang.
“They have high hopes on TCM as in Wuhan they use both the traditional and Western medicines,” he said after a meeting between the State Government and the experts at the State Administrative Centre, in Kota Kinabalu, Wednesday.
However, he said, the Government has yet to decide on adopting the same method.
“For now, we are very hopeful for the discovery of the Covid-19 vaccine. In China, they conduct human testing for vaccines.”
Previously, it was reported that TCM is being promoted as a treatment for Covid-19 with more than 90 per cent of patients in China receiving traditional treatments, according to official Chinese figures.
It was also officially endorsed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and has been credited with curing tens of thousands of patients during the outbreak and is also being promoted beyond China’s borders as an alternative medical solution.
One of the treatments being used is ephedra, which has been used to treat respiratory complaints since the 13th century, and a special soup in which it is mixed with poria, blackberry lily, apricot kernel and gypsum which can help alleviate symptoms, according to official guidelines from the Chinese National Health Commission.
The use of Chinese medicine has been supported by the national medical authorities during most recent pandemics, including the H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009 and H7N9 in 2013.
The team of eight medical experts, Aaron said, visited research institutes in Kuala Lumpur, apart from visiting Kuching, Sarawak and the city.
“All of them are Covid-19 specialists who were involved in the handling of the outbreak in China.
“We will continue to work closely and today (Thursday), they will have the final discussion and they will inform us on their observations of the situation in Malaysia,” he said.
He also said Malaysia is on the right track since day one in the handling of the pandemic.
“They (Chinese medical experts) commended us on how we handle it…they said that we did a good job, similar to what they are doing in China,” he said.
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