Image taken on March 2, 2017 shows a nurse applying a natural and traditional Chinese medicine treatment on a patient at the Camilo Cienfuegos primary care center in Havana, Cuba. (Xinhua/Joaquin Hernandez)
TCM HISTORY IN CUBA
Cuban doctors first learned TCM from Chinese professionals through a program that began in 1995, when this discipline was included in the national curriculum of medical studies.
International cooperation has since been a key factor in developing this medical program over the years.
"In the 1990s, we had an exchange with Chinese, Vietnamese and North Korean advisers to fully implement the program. Many of the doctors trained in those years received classes directly from Chinese professors," Johann Perdomo, head of the department of natural and traditional medicine of the Cuban Ministry of Health (MINSAP), told Xinhua.
Later on, he added, there has been cooperation with different Asian nations to bring to Cuba herbs and plants for traditional medicine treatments.
The development of traditional and natural medicine is also part of a comprehensive program involving MINSAP, as well as other government agencies.
According to Perdomo, such medical treatments began as a necessity due to the deep economic crisis the island faced after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
"It was a good and cheap way to solve some of the most important health issues of our population at the time while maintaining a universal and free healthcare system," he said.
However, realities have changed dramatically with natural and traditional medicine now being firmly integrated into the Cuban health system after more than 20 years of sustained application.
By 2016, more than 200 Cuban doctors had graduated as specialists in traditional and natural medicine, allowing the island to open more healthcare centers.
The service is also complemented by the use of 144 natural medicine products, most of which are made at local centers while others by pharmaceutical factories.
"Some have been registered and patented in different countries while we currently export others. One example is Vidatox, whose principal ingredient is obtained from the venom of the blue scorpion to treat cancer patients," said Perdomo.
Other examples include Abexol, an extract drawn from beeswax, and Policosanol (PPG), a mixture of aliphatic alcohols isolated from sugarcane for reducing cholesterol and treating osteoporosis.
The practice of TCM is so successful in Cuba that the government has integrated it into a plan to promote health tourism, seeking to attract foreign visitors for chronic diseases and ailments treatment here.
