Beijing, 10 Oct (ZXS) -- Interview with Chinese medicine doctors from China's foreign aid medical team: I have witnessed too many changes in traditional Chinese medicine from questioning to praise
China News Agency reporter Li Chun
When I first saw the Chinese doctor take out a metal needle for acupuncture, a local patient in Burkina Faso quickly shook his head nervously and said in French: "Don't want this." However, after receiving moxibustion, cupping, pain relief plaster and other TCM treatment methods, the patient's low back pain symptoms were significantly relieved, and the smile returned to his face: "TCM is really amazing." ”
Talking about how to make foreign patients believe in traditional Chinese medicine? In an exclusive interview with a reporter from the China News Agency, Ma Lan, a traditional Chinese medicine acupuncturist from the fifth batch of Chinese Red Cross aid to Burkina Faso medical team, first shared this personal experience, and then said bluntly: "Prove yourself with curative effects!" ”
Since 2018, each batch of Chinese aid to Burkina Faso medical teams has been equipped with a TCM doctor, and the country's Tangadogo Hospital has opened a TCM acupuncture clinic for this purpose. Ma Lan said that the outpatient clinic is busy, receiving more than a dozen local patients every day, and each patient takes between half an hour and 50 minutes. "It's not just acupuncture, it's also guasha, cupping and so on. The patient's condition is different, and the treatment measures taken are different. ”
Of course, for the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine, many local patients are initially skeptical. Ma Lan still remembers that a patient who had been treated with a pillow loss did not trust Chinese medicine very much when he first came to the doctor, and he was afraid of acupuncture. Ma Lan first applied some proprietary Chinese medicine to relax the muscles in the affected area, and told the patient that he could try a shallow injection first, and then step by step if he felt that it was acceptable.
After about 40 minutes, the treatment ended and the patient's "neck was finally moving." "I was sad when I came, and I was smiling when I left." Ma Lan said that in the past year or so in Burkina Faso, the local people's attitude towards Chinese medicine has changed from questioning to praise, and she has seen too much.
TCM diagnosis and treatment pays attention to "looking, hearing and asking", but for TCM doctors overseas, language differences make "asking" a major difficulty in daily work. Burkina Faso's official language is French, and Ma Lan describes her French proficiency as "often bouncing words" and "patients laughing when they hear it." Even so, she is willing to communicate with patients and "talk as much as possible to bring doctors and patients closer."
What is more difficult is how to tell the local people about the TCM culture behind the diagnosis and treatment methods, so that patients can understand and trust TCM treatment more. Ma Lan also said that it is necessary to introduce it in a way that local patients can understand, and avoid using overly technical terms. For example, when it comes to endogenous cold and dampness, she will start with the patient's living habits, telling them not to be greedy for cold in their diet, and so on.
How do people in Burkina Faso view TCM today?
"Let's just say that many local clinics will issue treatment orders to patients and let them come to me for treatment." Ma Lan said that thanks to the work results of the first four batches of Chinese medical teams assisting Burkina Faso, traditional Chinese medicine has accumulated a certain reputation in the local area, and its popularity can be seen.
Among them is a "Chinese medicine fan" in his 80s. When the fourth batch of Chinese aid to Burkina Faso medical team received the patient, the weakness of both lower limbs caused by the compression of the sciatic nerve by the lumbar disc herniation had kept the elderly man bedridden for a long time. After receiving TCM treatment, from lying down to being able to sit up, and then from standing up to now being able to walk slowly with a wheelchair, the patient's condition has improved for all.
Today, the old man still insists on receiving treatment in Ma Lan's clinic. He also wrote a letter expressing his gratitude to the Chinese medical team, especially the TCM doctors: "You have helped me regain confidence and hope in life. ”
"Traditional Chinese medicine plays an indispensable role in China's foreign aid medical work." In Ma Lan's view, in a small way, TCM doctors providing diagnosis and treatment services to patients and helping them regain their health are polishing the "business card" of China's foreign aid medical treatment with practical actions; In a big way, as a window and bridge, Chinese medicine has not only disseminated Chinese culture, but also contributed to the cause of peaceful development of mankind.
Ma Lan recalled that after experiencing the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine, some patients would point to the five-star red flag on her white coat and say, "Chinese is great." "What I do is to do my best and use my actions to practice the spirit of the Chinese medical team that is not afraid of hardship, willing to dedicate, save lives and help the wounded, and boundless love." (End)