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MALAYSIA
- Towards a Regional Center of Excellence for Complementary
Medicine
There
is a paradigm shift in health care that is taking place
throughout the world. The Wo
rld Health Organization (WHO) is
aware of the important role played by traditional and
complementary medicine (T/CM) in preventive, promotive and
curative aspects of health for a large portion of the
population, particularly in developing countries, and
advocates tapping its usefulness. It therefore encourages
member states to support T/CM and the continuous evaluation,
formulation of policies with appropriate regulations suited to
their specific national health systems.
Malaysia
has established and developed a modern healthcare system.
Because of its multiracial society, it also has long history
of Traditional Medicine. Complementary Medicine, on the
otherhand, is a fairly recent but rapidly growing development.
The growing global interest and demand for natural healthcare
and the widespread use of T/CM in this country, necessitates a
new approach to its development. On August 2001, the
Ministry of Health issued Malaysia's
National Policy on Traditional/Complementary Medicine.
The
Ministry of Health has taken a positive and proactive approach
towards traditional / complementary medicine to ensure its
quality and safety for the consumers. It supports efforts to
integrate T/CM with modern medicine and will introduce it,
incrementally where appropriate, into the mainstream of the
country's national health system.
As an enunciated basic
policy, the T/CM system shall be an important component of the
healthcare system. It will co-exist with modern medicine and
contribute towards enhancing the health and quality of life of
all Malaysians. The government will facilitate the development
of T/CM in the country and ensures the quality, safe practices
and products of T/CM. It will support the identification of
its health, economic and social benefits.
The infrastructure to
implement these policies is based on a collaboration between
the public sector and non-government organizations.
Umbrella Bodies were created to assure the rapid growth and
development of T/CM within guidelines issued by the Ministry
of Health (without the impediments associated with public
regulatory structures) while harnessing the resources of the
people directly involved with the disciplines. These are
national bodies that are registered with the Registrar of
Societies, and appointed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to
accredit the curriculum and training institutions, register
and self-regulate T/CM practitioners through the compliance of
standard codes of practice and conduct of identified
modalities. There are five umbrella bodies at present, namely,
the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Complementary and Homeopathy T/CM
groups.
The T/CM Standing
Committee which is chaired by the Deputy Director General of
Health (Research and Technical Support) comprises of relevant
senior officers from the Ministry of Health, representatives
from local Universities, professional bodies, WHO and the
umbrella bodies. It is responsible for the development of T/CM
in line with this Policy Document. The secretariat of this
committee is the Primary Health Care Section, Family Health
Development Division of the MOH.
The T/CM Council is a
higher Body which is chaired by the Director General of
Health, with nominated members from the various stakeholders
of health. It advises the T/CM Standing Committee on the
direction and position to be taken by Malaysia on the
development of T/CM.
Established
under the guidance of the Primary Healthcare
Section of the Ministry of Health in 1998, the
Malaysian Society for Complementary Therapies (MSCT) is the Umbrella Body designated by the Ministry of Health with
responsibility for registration and training of Complementary Medicine Practitioners in Malaysia.
Complementary Medicine
Disciplines presently under the supervision of the Society
include: Acupuncture,
Akubekum, Aromatherapy,
Bach Flower Remedies, Chiropractic,
Counselling, Colon Hydrotherapy,
Crystal Healing, Herbalism,
Hypnotism, Meditation/Mind
Science, Naturopathy, Nutrition Therapy, Osteopathy,
Phytobiophysics, Pranic
Healing, Qi Qong, Reflexology, Reiki, Tactile
Therapy/Body Work, and Yoga.
The MSCT has issued out a
number of guidelines to regulate the different disciplines
under its supervision. One should acknowledge that
Complimentary Medicine / Therapies is multi-disciplinary and
the mode of training and accreditation is diverse. As such,
the guidelines where appropriate shall be applied as minimum
benchmarks. The following documents provide interesting
readings:
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