The Chinese government has recently sent a new team of professional Chinese medicine doctors to Malta to introduce a new stance on the healings of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
This July, the best of China’s experts were called to form a crew of four doctors, a translator as well as an in-house chef with the aim of providing healthcare in Malta.
The Chinese medical team has been tasked with improving their efforts in TCM, with the aim of shining a light on the benefits of the ancient techniques.
Geng Tao, who is heading the team as the director at the centre, is a professional massage doctor and thus he is an expert at treating lower back pain, spine alignment and treatment as well as neck and head pains.
Other team members, including Xu Guojie, will be targeting post-stroke aphasia, inconsistent obesity, infertility, eczema, insomnia and digestion diseases through the traditional techniques of acupuncture and moxibustion.
Acupuncture is a precise form of pain relief that is administered by means of disposable acupuncture needles that target acute points of pain, while moxibustion focuses more on the therapy induced by heat treatment – this helps to align the Qi that is often set off-balance due to our hectic modern lifestyles.
The two other doctors are Shao Qinghua, who will target pelvic floor disease, metabolic imbalances and other painful diseases primarily in the neck, shoulder and head region, and Geng Hao, who will look into the treatment of facial paralysis, irritable bowel syndrome and cervical spondylosis.
The team would not be able to function without the help of interpreter Pan Yixin, who makes sure that all technical matters are understood for a well-rounded service.
Our doctors teach their patients how to take care of their bodies through food intake
The TCM experts are residing at the Mediterranean Regional Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) and are catered for by chef Hua Zhong who follows the varied yet thorough regime of the Chinese diet. This plays a big part in the healing of the mind, body and soul and complements the various techniques the team uses.
Apart from moxibustion and acupuncture, some other treatments include cupping, a suction technique used to relieve muscular stress, Tuina massage, a traditional and highly effective form of therapy, as well as general techniques to rid the body of aches, pains and stress.
Dr Tao, the director of the centre, encourages the Maltese public to explore the benefits of Chinese medicine therapy, other techniques that their appointed doctors suggest, as well as keeping diet at the forefront of their therapy.
“Our doctors teach their patients how to take care of their bodies through food intake. Chinese medicine soup is a great remedy which we are eager to share with the public through our upcoming seminars,” he said.
Since their arrival, the team members have already set on their mission to educate the public further on TCM. Their collaboration with the Malta University Confucius Centre resulted in a conference on July 25, which helped to introduce the benefits of TCM.
The second event planned for this year will take place in mid-September in celebration of the mid-autumn festival that holds great value to Chinese people. This lunar event is meant to celebrate and praise the moon for its provision in health, agriculture and the fundamentals of life in general.
Future events will take place on October 5 when the doctors will showcase their skills at Notte Bianca in Valletta.
The MRCTCM is not the only centre the public can access TCM treatments – the centre’s relationship with Mater Dei and Gozo General Hospital, has, for years, been going strong and this team is eager to spark “creative and innovative connections with the Ministry of Health, Mater Dei and Gozo General Hospital”.
Dr Tao is set on promoting the unity between Chinese and Western medicine. He comments that his mission would not run smoothly without the help and support of Clarence Pace, the chairman of the board, “as well as the passion and determination of the medical team, who together will bring a wave of change to the Maltese health system”.
