‘Traditional and Complementary Medicine Blueprint aims to facilitate regulation’
KUALA LUMPUR: The Traditional and Complementary Medicine ( T& CM) Blueprint is aimed to facilitate the regulation, integration and economic development of the T& CM industry to ensure it can contribute optimally to the national health care system.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam said the blueprint was also to meet economic and socio-cultural goals, maximise the reach of health systems towards universal health coverage and enhance the total well-being of Malaysians.
“The Blueprint is followed by the enforcement of the T& CM Act 2016 (Act 775). The act has catalysed progress on many fronts of T& CM notably in the areas of capacity building research, governance, education and the regulation of T& CM products.
“As these developments become increasingly complex, intense and diversified, there is an urgent growing need to look at the bigger picture, to think long term and to take concerted actions.
“The T& CM Blueprint will therefore serve this purpose,” he said after launching the T& CM Blueprint 2018-2027 (Health Care), here yesterday.
Dr Subramaniam said the blueprint has identified 17 challenges faced by the T& CM industry and were categorised into four areas namely practice, education and training, medicinal materials and products as well as research.
Dr Subramaniam said in response to those challenges, six general directions were tailored to meet emerging health care needs and to address the issues and challenges of the industry. —Bernama