-- Establishing fever clinic in secondary or above public medical institutions of traditional Chinese medicine

　　Date: June 1, 2020

　　Source: Beijing Learning Platform

　　The Beijing Municipal Health Commission, the Beijing Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and other departments have recently drafted the "Beijing Regulations on Traditional Chinese Medicine (Draft for public comment)" and description, soliciting public comment from May 29 to June 28, 2020. Citizens can visit the official website of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission to view the draft and description under "Public Opinion Solicitation" in the section "Interaction between the government and the public", and give feedback and suggestions. According to the draft, government-run TCM medical institutions at or above level two establish infectious diseases departments and set up fever clinics, intestinal clinics and other departments related to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases according to standards. 

　　The draft stipulates that the municipal and district people's governments should set up at least one TCM medical institution to serve as a regional TCM medical center in accordance with the establishment plan and standards of national and Beijing medical institution. The number of TCM services provided by TCM medical institutions and the proportion of TCM diagnosis and treatment expenses must meet the standards set by Beijing Municipality. General hospitals, specialized hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals and maternity and child care hospitals run by the government should set up TCM departments and provide beds for TCM or integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in accordance with requirements, improving the coordination mechanism between Chinese and western medicine, and incorporate Chinese medicine into the multidisciplinary consultation system. Community health service centers and township hospitals should set up TCM departments with a certain number of TCM doctors. Beijing Municipal Government should encourage and guide social forces to organize TCM medical institutions, and support famous TCM expert studios to apply for TCM medical institutions with independent legal persons.

　　In the event of a public health emergency, the competent TCM departments of Beijing Municipal Government should organize TCM experts to study and formulate prevention and treatment plans, select and dispatch professional TCM technicians to take part in emergency medical rescue and implement combined treatment of traditional Chinese and western medicine. The government-run TCM medical institutions at or above level two should build Department of Infectious Diseases and set up fever clinic, intestinal clinic and other sections related to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases according to the standards.

　　Beijing should support medical institutions in making and using TCM preparations and enrich the varieties of TCM preparations in medical institutions. The varieties of TCMs prepared by medical institutions are required to obtain a preparation approval number. The varieties of TCMs prepared by traditional techniques should be filed with Beijing Municipal Drug Regulatory Department rather than being obtained with an approval number. With the approval of the Drug Regulatory Department of Beijing, TCMs prepared by medical institutions could be dispensed and used among designated medical institutions.

　　Beijing competent TCM departments should establish an evaluation mechanism for TCM preparation in medical institutions in urgent need of clinical treatment and recommend the suitable varieties for dispensing to Beijing Municipal Drug Regulatory Department. Beijing should encourage medical institutions and drug handling companies capable of dispensing TCM decoction items to provide TCM decoction distribution services, and establish quality standards for decoction delivery services.

　　The establishment of an institution of TCM health maintenance and health care will need approval through registration with the market supervision and administration department according to the law. After approval, the registered business scope would be "TCM health care services (non-medical)". TCM Institutions for health preservation and health care should provide health preservation and health care services using the concepts and technical methods of traditional Chinese medicine rather than provide medical services.

　　Solicitation of comments

　　Time: May 29-June 28, 2020

　　To find the full-text article: check the draft and description in the section of "Solicitation of public opinion" under the channel of "Interaction between government and the public" on the Beijing Municipal Health Commission's website.

　　Feedback system: E-mail to zcfgc@wjw.beijing.gov.cn. In the email subject field please write: "Regulations of Beijing Municipality on Traditional Chinese Medicine". 

　　Mail to Policy and Regulation Department of Beijing Municipal Health Commission, 70 Zaolin Qianjie, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100053. Please note on the envelope "Regulations of Beijing Municipality on Traditional Chinese Medicine". (Author: Jia Xiaohong)