517,600 more TCM professionals neeeded in next 5 years

BEIJING-- China needs over half a million professionals trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) over the next five years, according to a government report published Wednesday.

The report, released by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that about 517,600 more TCM personnel are needed for the country's hospitals, community healthcare centers and rural clinics.

The report also highlighted major problems, such as TCM resource imbalances among the country's different regions and lack of TCM service institutions and workers in rural areas.

The report is based on a national investigation, which was launched by the administration in May 2010, of the basic situation of TCM development.

According to the report, China now has about over 500,000 TCM workers and about 21 percent of the country's qualified medical staff have TCM service qualifications.

Moreover, about 59.6 percent of the 739,600 medical institutions in the investigation could provide TCM treatment services, the report said.