After several traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) organisations voiced their concerns, the National Security Council (NSC) has released a new standard operating procedure (SOP) allowing them to operate during Phase 1 of the Covid-19 National Recovery Plan (NRP).
Under Phase 1, TCM practitioners and centres will be allowed to conduct online consultations for their patients. Outpatient service will only be allowed in states that have entered Phase 2.
However, the Federation of Chinese Physicians and Acupuncturists Associations Malaysia (FCPAAM) is not satisfied with the latest SOP for them.
Its chairperson Ng Po Kok told Malaysiakini that it would be meaningless if only online consultations were allowed during Phase 1.
“Even if the new SOP does not mention the online consultation and medicine delivery, many TCM practitioners are already currently doing that.
“What we want is outpatient service and acupuncture treatment to be allowed during Phase 1 and we will follow the existing SOPs,” Ng said.
He added that acupuncture involved only minimal physical contact using disposable needles and the practitioners wear gloves when conducting the treatment.
Ng added the latest SOP was also confusing as it does not state whether the practitioners should conduct online consultations from their own homes or from their clinics.
“We are asked to do online consultations but should we go to the clinic or can we do it from home? It’s not clear," he said.
Limited services
Ng said FCPAAM will send a letter to the NSC raising their concerns again after consulting with their members and other related organisations.
FCPAAM chairperson Ng Po Kok
The organisation will also contact the MCA president and Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong to discuss the matter.
It was reported that Wee had a discussion with representatives from the TCM sector last week and an SOP proposal would be submitted to the Health Ministry and National Security Council soon.
According to the latest SOP, TCM centres and practitioners are limited in their services under the four phases of the National Recovery Plan. During the first phase, only online consultations and medicine deliveries are allowed.
Face-to-face consultations can be conducted with physical distancing during the second phase while home visits and treatments involving physical contact will be allowed under Phase 3.
The whole sector can run without limitations under Phase 4. Meanwhile, under Phase 2, TCM centres can operate for normal working hours at full capacity, though each treatment session should not exceed one hour, with treatment in pairs or groups prohibited.
On June 1, the Health Ministry’s TCM Division announced that traditional medicine was not under the list of essential services allowed by the National Security Council and therefore they were unable to operate during the June 1 to 14 lockdown. The lockdown has since been extended to June 28.
TCM practitioners were allowed to operate under previous movement control orders after the associations involved made an appeal.
Several TCM groups and patients have urged for the resumption of the operations of the TCM. A group of practitioners also escalated their protests last Sunday, by launching an online petition. - Mkini
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