Prohibition on Medical Practitioners from Practising moxibustion

7 March 2013

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7 Mar 2013

Question No. 457

Name of Person: Mr Sitoh Yih Pin

Question

To ask the Minister for Health what is the rationale for the prohibition on medical practitioners from practising moxibustion.

Answer

Registered medical practitioners are expected to treat their patients according to generally accepted methods of treatment which are evidence based. Currently, only the ‘needle form’ of acupuncture has been accepted for use in Western Medicine by registered medical practitioners. This form of acupuncture is the most researched and published in the medical literature and has the evidence base for medical practice. There are other modalities and types of treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which are not allowed to be practised by registered medical practitioners and moxibustion is one of the modalities.