MOH Signs Fifth Plan of Cooperation in Traditional Chinese Medicine with the People's Republic of China's State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing

15 May 2013

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Dr Amy Khor, Minister of State, Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Manpower (MOM) signed the 5th Plan of Cooperation (POC) in the area of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s State Administration of TCM (SATCM) in Beijing today. Prof Wang Guoqiang, PRC’s vice minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission and Commissioner of SATCM, signed the POC on behalf of PRC.

2 This is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between MOH and SATCM in 1999, which provides for the POC once every three years, and an annual meeting of the Sino-Singapore Committee on TCM Cooperation (SSCTCMC) held alternately between Singapore and PRC.

3 The MOU aims to formulate cooperation plans and facilitate the mutual exchange of information and expertise on the teaching, practice and regulation of TCM between both countries. For the 5th POC, the scope of collaboration has been widened to include cooperation between the two countries in TCM research, an area of relevance for Singapore following MOH’s research grant set up this year for research collaborations between western scientific researchers and TCM institutions for better patient outcomes.

4 Under the MOU and POC, PRC experts have been invited to Singapore to assist MOH and the TCM Practitioners Board in the examination of TCM practitioners as part of the registration of TCM practitioners since 1999, and in the training of Chinese medicine materials dispensers. In return, eight health management training programmes have been conducted since 2001 for PRC officials to learn about hospital management, medical care and finance policies in Singapore.

5 Dr Khor led a six-member delegation, comprising officers from MOH and the Health Sciences Authority for the signing of the 5th POC and to attend the 9th SSCTCMC meeting in Beijing.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
15 MAY 2013