Traditional Medicine in Asia

Traditional Medicine in Asia
consolidating into a single system the four
branches of medicine currently practised;
the Board is likewise to undertake studies
and research and advise the competent
authorities on standardizing the methods
of treatment provided in dispensaries
operated by the Government.
The Indigenous Burmese Medical
Practitioners Board Amendment Act of 1962
introduced new sections 22-A and 28-A
empowering the Chairman of the
Revolutionary Council of Burma to, (i) Cancel
the registration of indigenous medical
practitioners, (ii) Prescribe qualifications for
registration, and (iii) Terminate the services
of any or all of the members of the Board
and appoint new members in their place.
Under these powers, a new Board was
appointed to initiate the re-registration of
practitioners. The Department of Indigenous
Medicine was established on the 3rd of
August 1989.
Education and training
An educational institution known as the
Institute of Indigenous Medicine was
established by the Ministry of Health in 1976,
offering a three-year training programme.
Organization
The second-grade department was formed
in mid-1989 by upgrading the branch of
indigenous medicine under the Department
of Health. The staff strength at that time
was about 700. In late 1997, the Department
was again upgraded into a first-grade
one, expanding the manpower up to 1796
consisting of four main divisions, viz.,
administration, medical care, research and
development, and herbal garden and drug
production.
Law and Regulation
To keep abreast with the changing
circumstances, the Department reviewed
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the aforementioned Act and has updated
and revised it as the Traditional Medical
Council Law, which was enacted on 14
January, 2000, by the Government. At
present there are over 8000 traditional
medicine practitioners registered under the
said law.
In 1996, the Government promulgated
the Traditional Medicine Law in order
to control the production and sales of
traditional medicine drugs systematically.
This was followed by a series of notifications
concerning registration and licensing,
labelling and advertising.
Education and Training in
Traditional Medicine
There is one Institute conferring diploma
in Traditional Medicine, situated in
Mandalay, the second capital of Myanmar.
This institute was opened in 1976 and is
attached to the 50-bed teaching hospital
with the aim of eradicating bogus medical
practitioners by producing full-fledged
practitioners, to update traditional
medicine to modern standards, to carry out
research work in traditional medicine, to
produce skilled researchers, and to give
citizens effective treatment by traditional
medicine.
It is a three-year diploma course,
followed by a one-year internship. Till the
1997–98 academic year, the number of
students awarded diploma totalled 890.
The yearly intake of candidates is 100 at
present. The Institute has its own
medicinal plant garden for teaching
demonstrations. The Department is now
planning to upgrade the Institute to
become a degree-conferring one in the
near future.
In addition, the Institute also conducts
a one-year course for outside Traditional
Medicine Practitioners who have no
certificates or licences to treat patients.