Monday November 8, 2010
By LOH FOON FONG newsdesk@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) has introduced a Bachelor of Chinese Medicine (Hons) programme and will take in 30 students in its first batch.
“It is hoped that the combination of Western and Chinese medicine will bring patient care to a higher level,” said MCA presidential council member Tan Sri Dr Fong Chan Onn.
While Western medicine was better in surgeries, Chinese medicine had its strength in pain relief, he said at the 4th Global Bio-herbs Economic Forum here yesterday.
Utar introduced a medical degree programme last year and received approval for the Chinese medicine programme this year, he added.
According to the Utar website, the five-year programme, to be taught in English and Chinese, will be offered at its Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in the Utar Sungai Long campus.
The programme, aimed at producing internationally-recognised traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, will have its first intake in May next year.
Apart from Utar, International Medical University and Inti International University College also offer Chinese traditional medicine courses.
Easy Pha-max Marketing Sdn Bhd group chairman Datuk Yeat Sew Chuong said the introduction of the programme in Utar was the right move towards the development of Chinese medicine.
“The market in Chinese herbal products is expected to expand in a big way, and if we don’t have enough professionals in this area we will miss out,” he said.
At the forum, a signing ceremony was held between Easy Pha-max Marketing and 40 herbal-based manufacturers, herbal suppliers and research companies.
Yeat said, in total, the company had collaborated with 150 companies for their supplies to be marketed at Easy Mall, a Chinese herbal products chain store introduced throughout the country half a year ago.
He added the company hoped to link up with 300 companies next year, rising to 500 companies by 2012.
