Improve the service ability of traditional Chinese medicine and better serve people’s health
The General Secretary of the Supreme Leader paid close attention to the development of Chinese medicine, made important instructions and instructions to the cause of Chinese medicine many times, and used the concepts and terms of Chinese medicine to elaborate the ideological views of governing the country and politics in important speeches many times. On June 20th, 2010, he attended the awarding ceremony of Confucius Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine jointly organized by Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, and pointed out: "Traditional Chinese medicine embodies profound philosophical wisdom and thousands of years’ health preservation concept and practical experience of the Chinese nation, which is the treasure of ancient science in China and the key to open the treasure house of Chinese civilization." This important exposition fully demonstrates the affirmation of the value and status of traditional Chinese medicine by the Supreme Leader General Secretary. Traditional Chinese medicine profoundly embodies the cognitive style and value orientation of the Chinese nation, contains rich cultural essence of the Chinese nation, and is an important embodiment of China’s cultural soft power. As a unique health resource in China, Chinese medicine’s clinical advantages of "simplicity, convenience, cheapness and test" are an important guarantee to meet people’s multi-level and diversified health needs in the new era. "Report on the Work of the State Council Government in 2024" pointed out: "Promote the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine, and strengthen the construction of superior specialties of traditional Chinese medicine." This points out the direction for the development of Chinese medicine, that is, to continue to strengthen the inheritance and innovation of Chinese medicine, improve the comprehensive service ability of Chinese medicine, better serve people’s health and meet people’s yearning for a better life.
Abide by the initial intention and mission of traditional Chinese medicine
General Secretary of the Supreme Leader clearly pointed out at the educational work conference on the theme of "Do not forget your initiative mind, Keep in mind the mission": "It is the initial heart and mission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) people to seek happiness for the people of China and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and it is the fundamental driving force to inspire generations of the Communist Party of China (CPC) people to advance wave after wave and struggle bravely." Report to the 20th CPC National Congress of the Party pointed out that it is necessary to comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese modernization. To promote Chinese modernization, we must grasp the "six musts", the first of which is "people first". The initial intention and mission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) people is to serve the people, which is also the initial intention and mission of TCM.
Shennong, the ancestor of traditional Chinese medicine, tasted all kinds of herbs, and "seventy poisons were encountered in one day". He not only found food that could satisfy his hunger, but also drugs that could cure diseases and heal wounds. It is precisely because of this spirit of self-sacrifice that farming culture and medical culture germinate. Traditional Chinese medicine embodies the Chinese nation’s concept and practical experience of health preservation for thousands of years. The history of traditional Chinese medicine is the history of fighting diseases and serving the people. In ancient times, Bian Que advised Cai Huangong three times, Dong Feng Xinglin Chunnuan, Zhang Zhongjing sat in the classroom to practice medicine, Sun Simiao was a great doctor, Su Dan orange and Jing Quan fragrance, and Fei Changfang helped the world. Today, Zhang Boli volunteered to fight the epidemic, and doctors of past dynasties adhered to the initial heart and mission of TCM, carrying on the legends and stories of TCM, which not only inherited and innovated the theory of TCM, but also inherited and carried forward the spirit of TCM.
During the development of Chinese medicine for thousands of years, Zhang Zhongjing, a medical sage, stood out like a brilliant star in his benevolence and benevolence. He "felt the loss of the past and was unable to save the injury", and finally became "Treatise on Exogenous Febrile Diseases", which is a sacred book of enlightening the eternal life and sincerely treating medical diseases. His academic thoughts have been continuously inherited and developed by generations of Chinese medicine practitioners such as Wang Shuhe, Sun Simiao, Zhu Jun, Xu Shuwei, Guo Yong, Cheng Wuji, Lin Yi, Zhao Kaimei, Fang Youzhi, Yu Jiayan, Ke Yunbo, You Zaijing, Xu Dachun, Chen Xiuyuan, Tang Rongchuan, Yun Tieqiao, Lu Yuanlei, Cao Yingfu, Zhang Xichun, Liu Duzhou and Hu Xishu. Integrating Zhang Zhongjing’s life and academic thoughts into the development of Chinese medicine for thousands of years, and exploring and examining it from the perspective of medical and literary collaboration, we can condense a spirit that represents the characteristics of Chinese medicine-"Zhongjing Spirit". Zhongjing spirit is an outstanding representative of TCM spirit and an important part of TCM culture. The core of Zhongjing spirit is people-centered, which mainly includes five connotations: one is people-oriented and life is supreme; Second, perseverance and courage to climb the peak; Third, inherit the essence, keep the integrity and innovate; Fourth, be objective and realistic, and seek truth scientifically; Fifth, the medical style is rigorous and the clinic is cautious. The spirit of western medicine is obsessed with the continuous improvement of "technique", while the spirit of traditional Chinese medicine pursues the persistence and inheritance of "Tao" on the basis of "technique"
All-round training of Chinese medicine talents
Talent is the first engine, and strengthening the construction of Chinese medicine talent team is the key to the development of Chinese medicine. It is necessary to fully implement the party’s educational policy, take moral education as the fundamental goal, optimize the layout of Chinese medicine disciplines and specialties, accelerate the construction of superior disciplines of Chinese medicine, and cultivate all-round applied and innovative talents of Chinese medicine. We should further improve the development plan of TCM talents, explore the establishment of a talent training system that conforms to the characteristics of TCM, and strive to build a team of TCM talents with firm TCM beliefs, systematic TCM thinking, profound theoretical foundation of TCM, solid clinical practice ability of TCM and innovative ability. The following three aspects should be paid attention to in cultivating talents of traditional Chinese medicine.
First, follow the thinking mode and basic laws of traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes that the five internal organs are integrated, the form and spirit are integrated, the nature and man are integrated, and people and society are integrated, which links many factors such as biology, meteorology, geography, psychology and society, which is particularly consistent with the viewpoint of bio-psychology-social medicine and is richer and more comprehensive in content, so TCM is a medicine with more systematic thinking. Traditional Chinese medicine is based on traditional philosophy, which has its particularity compared with other disciplines and specialties. It is cultural, empirical and inherited. Traditional Chinese medicine education can’t copy the model of western medicine education. We should strengthen the confidence of TCM theory, TCM road, TCM curative effect and TCM culture, and cultivate TCM talents in a way suitable for the growth law of TCM talents. The evaluation of Chinese medicine talents should follow the basic laws of Chinese medicine, and strive to solve the problem of "three talents" (only academic qualifications, only professional titles and only papers) in talent evaluation. Improve the talent evaluation system, accelerate the establishment of a talent evaluation system oriented to innovative value, ability and contribution, and form and implement an evaluation system conducive to scientific and technological talents’ concentrated research and innovation.
The second is to pay attention to the integration of classic theories of traditional Chinese medicine. A solid basic theoretical foundation of TCM is the basis for diagnosing and treating diseases and ensuring clinical curative effect. It is necessary to strengthen the teaching of TCM classics and urge TCM students to read more classics. Sun Simiao said: "Therefore, scholars must be knowledgeable and diligent." Only by deepening the understanding of the basic theory of TCM can we understand the "medical source" of TCM. Learning theory is to supplement the "source of living water" and constantly consolidate the basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine in order to see the "true face of Lushan Mountain". Traditional Chinese medicine education is lifelong education, and Chinese medicine practitioners should live and learn, and deepen their understanding and mastery of classical Chinese medicine theories in clinical work.
Third, pay attention to the combination of theory and clinic. The vitality of Chinese medicine lies in the clinic, and the core of learning Chinese medicine is also in the clinic, so it is said that "it is better to be familiar with Wang Shuhe than to have more clinical symptoms". Clinical practice is constantly guided by theory, and at the same time, practice is also testing theory. Learn in the clinic, and learn in the clinic. Sun Simiao said: "There are fools in the world, and after reading for three years, it means that there is no disease in the world; After three years of treatment, I know that there is nothing in the world. " The more clinical experience, the better the curative effect. The essence of traditional Chinese medicine is passed down from generation to generation, and apprenticeship education has always been an important way to train talents in traditional Chinese medicine. Higher education can combine teacher-apprentice education to cultivate talents of traditional Chinese medicine, and urge students to follow famous teachers, read classics and enter clinic early.
Dare to learn from and innovate constantly.
As a traditional medicine, Chinese medicine must keep pace with the times in modern society. It is an inevitable development path to learn from modern research results, which is also an important manifestation of strengthening the cultural confidence of Chinese medicine. On May 12-13, 2021, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out during his inspection tour in Nanyang, Henan Province: "We should do a good job in innovation, inheritance and development, actively promote scientific research and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine, pay attention to interpreting the principles of traditional Chinese medicine with modern science, promote the combination and promotion of traditional Chinese medicine and modern science, and promote the complementary and coordinated development of Chinese and Western medicine to provide better health services for the people." Modern science and technology are changing with each passing day, and Chinese medicine cannot remain unchanged. We should dare to learn from it and be good at learning from it. Specifically, it includes four aspects: to consolidate the foundation of Chinese medicine talents, we should learn from the modern education system, and we should not only emphasize the cultivation of Chinese medicine professionals, but also promote the cultivation of compound talents of Chinese medicine to achieve "grasping with both hands"; To improve the level of TCM medical care, we should learn from the achievements of modern medicine. We should take "innovation as the basic principle and combine modern medical technology and methods to continuously explore the essence of TCM and improve the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment ability of TCM. To promote the scientific research progress of traditional Chinese medicine, we should learn from the achievements of contemporary science and technology. The research strategy of "common target group of traditional Chinese medicine" has built a bridge between traditional Chinese medicine and modern science and technology, provided theoretical guidance and technical support for the research of new Chinese herbal pieces, new Chinese medicine and scientific explanation of prescription compatibility principles, and is an important path to realize the modernization of systematic Chinese medicine. To promote the high-quality development of Chinese medicine industry,Form a new cross-industry and cross-regional industrial chain in which the traditional Chinese medicine industry and ecology coexist harmoniously, and build an industrial cluster in modern traditional chinese medicine.
Traditional Chinese medicine has never been static, but it is constantly innovating and evolving. Inheritance makes it profound, while innovation makes it full of vitality. On October 25, 2019, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader made important instructions on "inheriting the essence, keeping integrity and innovation" in the work of traditional Chinese medicine. Throughout the development history of traditional Chinese medicine, the theory of traditional Chinese medicine has always been improved and enriched through continuous innovation. After the publication of Treatise on Exogenous Febrile Diseases, doctors took it as a guideline and formed the typhoid school. Since then, sweating has been the main treatment for exogenous heat syndrome. Later, doctors gradually found that some of the exogenous heat syndrome belongs to the category of febrile diseases, which are not suitable for sweating and relieving exterior syndrome, and need to be cold and clear away heat. Liu Wansu is the founder of the Cold School. In his Treatise on Typhoid Diseases by Specimen and Heart Method, he has treated typhoid fever and epidemic febrile diseases differently, and proposed that typhoid fever should be treated with ephedra and cassia twig. For epidemic diseases, it is advisable to cool down and clear heat, and use Atractylodes macrocephala Decoction, talc Liangge Powder, Shuangjie Powder, Yiyuan Powder and the like. Because Liu Wansu is the first to treat febrile diseases by cooling cold and clearing heat, it has the reputation of "typhoid fever is the middle scene, and fever worships the river". It was only after the formation of the school of febrile diseases in Ming and Qing Dynasties that typhoid fever and febrile diseases were strictly distinguished, and a system of theory, differentiation and treatment of febrile diseases was formed, which was another great breakthrough of traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, Chinese medicine should not only inherit the essence, but also be upright and innovative.
At present, the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine urgently needs innovation to cope with the bottleneck of clinical efficacy brought by the "four changes" in the modern diagnosis and treatment environment-the change of disease spectrum, the change of diagnosis mode, the change of medication mode and the change of people’s physical characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to interpreting the principles of traditional Chinese medicine with modern science, promote the combination and promotion of traditional Chinese medicine and modern science, and make the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine more in line with the needs of modern medical care.
Improve the service ability of traditional Chinese medicine in all aspects and dimensions
On September 22, 2020, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader emphasized at the symposium of experts in the field of education, culture, health and sports: "We should promote the inheritance, innovation and development of Chinese medicine, adhere to the equal emphasis on Chinese and Western medicine and complement each other’s advantages, and establish a service system, service model and talent training model that conform to the characteristics of Chinese medicine to give full play to its unique advantages." It is a systematic project to improve the service capacity of Chinese medicine in an all-round way. Establishing a Chinese medicine service system covering provinces, cities, counties and townships involves not only 3A hospitals, but also grass-roots hospitals and community (rural) health service centers. It is necessary to take the construction of the national comprehensive reform demonstration zone of traditional Chinese medicine as the starting point to improve the service ability of traditional Chinese medicine in all aspects and dimensions.
First, we must promote the construction of the three "centers" with high standards. The three "center" construction projects, such as the National Medical Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, the National Regional Medical Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance and Innovation Center, are the top-level design for systematically upgrading the national clinical service capacity system for traditional Chinese medicine, an important measure for thoroughly implementing the important instruction of the Supreme Leader General Secretary "Focus on promoting the revitalization and development of traditional Chinese medicine", and a comprehensive plan and systematic deployment for the development of traditional Chinese medicine from a national strategic perspective. It aims to improve the basic research of traditional Chinese medicine, the diagnosis and treatment of dominant diseases, the training of high-level talents, the research and development of traditional Chinese medicine equipment and new drugs, and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, so as to create a new highland for the clinical diagnosis and treatment and inheritance of traditional Chinese medicine, which is closely integrated with "medical use in Industry-University-Research". Hospitals selected for the construction of the three "centers" should constantly strengthen connotation construction, integrate superior resources, fully promote project construction, effectively improve medical service, scientific research innovation, achievement transformation, cultural inheritance and social influence, and accelerate the construction of hospitals into modern, comprehensive and research-oriented Chinese medicine hospitals with organic combination of clinical and scientific research and rich Chinese medicine characteristics.
The second is to lead and promote the construction of the "flagship" hospital of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine. It is an innovative measure to promote the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine through the combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine and lead the construction of a number of "flagship" hospitals with the combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine. As the "flagship" hospital of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine, it should innovate the medical service mode of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine, absorb high-level talents of traditional Chinese medicine, western medicine and integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine, and carry out the diagnosis and treatment of various common diseases with integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine. At the same time, the normalization of cross-regional, multi-center, large-scale, high-level clinical diagnosis and treatment services of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine has truly become an emerging force in China’s characteristic medical and health service system in clinical, scientific research and personnel training. Adhere to high standards to promote the construction of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine service system, innovate the diagnosis and treatment service model of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine, carry out clinical collaborative research on major and difficult diseases, and accelerate the realization of the people’s growing sense of access to integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine services.
Third, it is necessary to improve the medical service system of primary Chinese medicine. In the future, grass-roots doctors need to undertake the "six-in-one" health tasks, including medical treatment, prevention, health care, rehabilitation, health education, public health safety and so on. It is necessary to focus on promoting graded diagnosis and treatment, guide high-quality Chinese medicine medical resources to sink to the grassroots level, and strengthen the coordinated linkage of county and rural medical services. Grass-roots doctors are the key to get through the "last mile" of national health. We should speed up the construction of a training system for grass-roots doctors and cultivate grass-roots health guardians with "temperature" who are good at preventing diseases, treating minor diseases, recognizing serious diseases, turning serious diseases and managing chronic diseases.
Strengthen the construction of superior specialty of traditional Chinese medicine
Specialty is the basic unit of TCM diagnosis and treatment services, so we should strengthen the construction of specialty of TCM such as pediatrics, geriatrics, gastroenterology, orthopedics, anorectum, acupuncture, gynecology, pediatrics, andrology and preventive medicine. Give full play to the therapeutic role of traditional Chinese medicine in dominant diseases. The construction of superior specialty of traditional Chinese medicine is an important starting point to give full play to the unique advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing and treating diseases. It should be regarded as an important content of building a high-quality and efficient service system of traditional Chinese medicine and an important embodiment of improving the core competitiveness of traditional Chinese medicine.
First, it is necessary to speed up the construction of superior specialty clusters of traditional Chinese medicine. It is necessary to take the opportunity of building a national regional Chinese medicine (specialist) diagnosis and treatment center and give full play to the leading role of the national regional Chinese medicine (specialist) diagnosis and treatment center in the diagnosis and treatment of superior diseases of Chinese medicine. At present, the construction unit of national regional TCM (specialist) diagnosis and treatment center should take the opportunity of cultivation and creation, further clarify its own construction and development goals, positioning and measures, and strive to open a new situation of breakthrough and upgrading of TCM medical service system. It is necessary to give full play to the radiation-driven role of the national specialty of traditional Chinese medicine, build a regional high-level provincial specialty of traditional Chinese medicine, build a county-level specialty of traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, promote the overall improvement of the diagnosis and treatment ability of traditional Chinese medicine specialty in the region, form a cluster of traditional Chinese medicine specialty with wide professional and geographical coverage, reasonable structural layout, outstanding characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine and remarkable clinical efficacy, and build a new pattern of development of traditional Chinese medicine specialty to provide strong support for the high-quality development of traditional Chinese medicine.
Second, it is necessary to strengthen the academic conciseness of the treatment experience of dominant diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. To strengthen the construction of specialized diseases, we should focus on tackling the clinical "stuck neck" problems such as difficult diseases, chronic diseases and infectious diseases, and show the role and actions of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of major diseases. Superiority specialty should play a leading role, make the treatment experience academic, further improve the diagnosis and treatment scheme and clinical pathway of superior diseases, so as to popularize the treatment experience of superior diseases. At the same time, pay attention to the development of the famous doctor’s experience prescription with long use time and good curative effect as hospital preparation. Strengthen the research on the prevention and treatment technology of major and difficult diseases, chronic diseases, infectious diseases and other traditional Chinese medicine and research and development of new drugs, strive to produce original and iconic major new drug products similar to artemisinin, and comprehensively improve the clinical service capacity of traditional Chinese medicine.
Give full play to the "three functions" of traditional Chinese medicine
At present, we should vigorously promote the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment mode of Guangdong traditional Chinese medicine, the multi-specialty integrated diagnosis and treatment mode and the whole chain service mode to meet the people’s multi-level and diversified medical service needs. The General Secretary of the Supreme Leader stressed that "it is necessary to give full play to the important role of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention of diseases, the treatment of major diseases and the rehabilitation of diseases." In the face of the complicated situation of multiple disease threats and multiple health influencing factors, we should establish the concept of "great health". It is imperative to change from treating diseases as the center to taking health as the center, and Chinese medicine has great potential in it. Actively promote the construction of "healthy China", give full play to the "three functions" of traditional Chinese medicine, and take the concept of "great health" as the guide to improve and optimize the medical service system of traditional Chinese medicine covering the whole population and the whole life cycle.
First, give full play to the leading role of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing diseases. Disease prevention is the most economical and effective health strategy. We can construct the representation system and early warning system of common chronic diseases based on innovative theories of traditional Chinese medicine, such as "three states and four turbidity", so as to ensure that ordinary people do not get sick and get sick less. China’s health and health work in the new era should adhere to the concept of "great health" and gradually move forward from the "treatment end" to the "prevention end" as a whole. The characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing diseases have a leading advantage. It has been more than 10 years since the launch of the preventive health project in China in 2008. At present, we should conscientiously sum up the experience and practices in the implementation process and focus on solving the key problems and core sticking points that restrict the rapid development of the preventive health project. Give full play to the core advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in health management, innovate service mode, improve service standards and norms, and create an "upgraded version" of preventive health project from five aspects: academic, industrialization, daily life, intelligence and networking. At the same time, vigorously support the discipline construction of Chinese medicine health management, and cultivate applied talents with the ability of coordinated health service and management of Chinese and Western medicine.
The second is to give full play to the synergistic effect of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of major diseases. Practice has proved that Chinese medicine can play a synergistic role in the treatment of major diseases. For example, in the treatment of tumor diseases, Chinese medicine can cooperate with surgery, and giving patients active Chinese medicine treatment before operation can improve the body’s condition and help the operation go smoothly; After operation, traditional Chinese medicine was given to strengthen the body resistance and tonify deficiency, enhance immunity, promote rehabilitation and reduce recurrence and metastasis. For another example, during the epidemic period of Xinguan, the whole process of in-depth intervention of traditional Chinese medicine has played an important role in the prevention and treatment of Covid-19 infection, which can effectively reduce the incidence, weight shift rate and death rate of COVID-19 epidemic, promote the nucleic acid to turn negative, improve the cure rate, speed up recovery and alleviate complications.
Third, give full play to the core role of traditional Chinese medicine in disease rehabilitation. The characteristic rehabilitation of traditional Chinese medicine has obvious advantages in shortening the course of disease and improving the quality of life. Acupuncture, massage, pedicure and guidance are increasingly welcomed by patients. It is necessary to implement the project of improving the capacity of rehabilitation services with Chinese medicine characteristics as soon as possible, lay out and build a number of regional diagnosis and treatment centers for Chinese medicine rehabilitation, and promote the general establishment of rehabilitation departments in Chinese medicine hospitals above the second level to meet the growing demand for rehabilitation services with Chinese medicine characteristics of the people.
(The author He Qinghu is a member of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the president of Hunan Medical College, and Hu Zongren is the deputy director of the Ethnic Medicine Research Center of Hunan Medical College.)