Opinion

Study of Chinese medicine must resume

May 27, 2018
Study of Chinese medicine must resume

Fahd Areeshi



Al-Watan newspaper

IN 2012, Saudi students in China were circulating unconfirmed reports that studying medicine in China would be halted. The Ministry of Education and the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS) sent a joint mission to China to consider the quality of medical education and the health specializations in the country.

According to the findings of the joint committee, the two bodies were to decide whether to continue sending Saudis to study medicine in China or to stop it altogether.

On the recommendations of the committee, the ministry and the SCHS decided to stop sending Saudi medical students to China. Since then this file has remained closed. Neither the ministry nor the commission revisited it again. They kept silent on it for four years now.

I am certain that during these four years many countries have made great strides in medicine while some others must have regressed.

I hope that the SCHS and the Ministry of Education would review their decision and would allow Saudi students to study medicine in China.

They should send a new committee to carefully study the situation in a neutral manner without being influenced by the findings of the first committee.

Many Saudi students would want to study medicine in China, especially the Chinese medicine.

A Saudi student with great passion for the Chinese medicine has obtained a scholarship from a Chinese university to study there. He told me that he had finally found himself in the right place to study Chinese medicine after many sacrifices.

He said he decided to study this specialization despite all the hurdles and the difficulties because neither the ministry nor the commission had extended any helping hand to him.

The student was astonished why the ministry and the commission would prevent Saudis from studying the Chinese medicine, which dates back to more than 5,000 years ago.

He said the Chinese medicine is replete with secrets, astonishments, wonders and obscurity.

The student said Chinese medical experts can diagnose any disease just by checking the pulse on the patient's hand. He said these experts can identify the disease from the way the patient walks.

He said the Chinese medical students now study the Western medicine as well so that they can diagnose the condition using the Chinese traditional methods and then treat it according to the Western theories.

The medical students in China study anatomy, pathology and pharmacology the Western style.

They also study herbal medicine and the use of various trees and plants in the country. They study massage therapy, which is used in the treatment of many illnesses.

In addition to modern medicine, the medical students in China also study sports medicine so they can work in health centers that treat the patients through modern medicine as well as massage therapy.

The Saudi student was sad because he had obtained a scholarship from a Chinese university but could not join the scholarship program of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

We hope that the ministry and the commission would revoke the ban and open the door once again for the Saudi students to study Chinese medicine.


May 27, 2018
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