An increasing number of Maltese people are resorting to our treatments, Xu Jinhua, director of the Mediterranean Regional Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine, tells Fiona Vella.

For many Western societies, health means the absence of disease. Yet this is not the case in China, where health embodies a comprehensive system that focuses on a balanced lifestyle which is in harmony with nature. Having evolved over thousands of years of experimentation and studies about health and longevity, the philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine carries with it an ancient wisdom that aims to heal and regenerate body, mind and soul.

Since 1994, this ideology has been fostered locally at the Mediterranean Regional Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine in Kordin, Paola. Run by a Chinese medical team which changes every two years, this centre has registered a remarkable increase in Maltese people who attend to receive treatment.

“We are very satisfied with the Maltese people’s response to our services,” Dr Xu Jinhua, the present director of the centre, says. “In fact, just last week, we treated around 100 patients.”

For Dr Jinhua, this is the second time that he has joined the Chinese medical team in Malta. He was here four years ago, left to undergo an eight-month preparation programme in Nanjing, and returned to Malta.

His interpreter, Xiaojin Su, describes how the team of four Chinese doctors, a chef and herself are required to attend such training in order to be able to provide the best service in Malta.

“Apart from physical training, our preparation focuses on strengthening our ability to communicate in English and learning basic details about Maltese culture and religion. Moreover, all members of the group are familiarised with some general fundamental knowhow to enable us to collaborate better. This includes learning rudimental information about traditional Chinese medicine in order to be able to cooperate with the doctors, and also cooking, so that we can relieve our chef from time to time.

The current Chinese medical team at the 2015 Notte Bianca. Photo: Xiaojin Su

“During this preparation, we cannot visit our homes so that we can get adjusted to the experience of living in another country. This also helps foster a stronger teamwork within the group.”

For treatment to be effective, it’s very important that a good relationship is fostered between patient and doctor

Genuine dedication and commitment is the order of the day as these four Chinese doctors, who are specialised in acupuncture, provide their services at the Paola centre as well as at Mater Dei Hospital and Gozo General Hospital. Additionally, as Dr Jinhua reveals, the team was set with a further task to set up a Chinese clinic at St Luke’s hospital.

The diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners varies considerably from that of Western doctors.

“From our first look at the patient, we get a good indication of what they might be suffering from,” Dr Jinhua says. “Such indicators include the way the patient walks, their facial expression and posture, the colour of their skin, as well as body weight. Furthermore, a person’s vitality shows through the brightness of the eyes, the colour of the lips, and the state of the hair.”

A lot of information is also obtained by looking closely at a patient’s tongue since its colour, shape and coating reflects the condition of the internal organs.

“Our investigation also includes auscultation, which involves listening to the patient’s voice, sounds of breathing and coughing. In the past, the diagnosis also included olfaction, that is, smelling the patient’s odour. However today this is somewhat difficult since people use many perfumes and this hides the personal odour.”

Even taking a pulse differs, since the physician uses three fingers: the index finger to check the heart and lungs, the middle finger to listen to the liver, and the ring finger to test the kidney.

“The doctor also discusses the patient’s lifestyle, diet, exercise and stress at home and work. This practice is important as it indicates whether a patient is suffering from any imbalance which is resulting in pain. For treatment to be effective, it’s very important that a good relationship is fostered between patient and doctor.”

In the more than two decades since the Mediterranean Regional Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine opened, treatments have mainly focused on acupuncture and massage. Yet Dr Jinhua is keen to introduce a further specialised treatment which involves the use of traditional Chinese herbs.

Acupuncture. Photo: Choy Hong Jasmine Grech

“Herbs are used widely in China. There is a vast selection of these herbs, each with their own particular characteristics and qualities. Their use could offer various benefits to Maltese patients. However, until now, we have been prohibited from importing these herbs to Malta to treat the locals with them.”

Probably, this restriction is due to the fact that these herbs are alien to Western doctors. Nonetheless, possibly the time has come to make a change.

“Last year, I had the opportunity to meet Energy and Health Minister Konrad Mizzi, while he was visiting some medicine colleges and hospitals in China. At the time, I was glad to see that he seemed very interested in traditional Chinese herbs, particularly those relating to treat infertility.

“Should treatment with these herbs be allowed in Malta, a Chinese doctor specialised in this sector would be able to attend regularly in our centre in order to diagnose patients and provide treatment.

“I am aware that presently some people in Malta are using IVF treatment to tackle this issue. Yet in those cases where a couple does not have any problems with the organs themselves, traditional Chinese herbs might offer a less expensive and natural solution. In China we have a 70 to 80 per cent success rate for cases of infertility in such situations.”

Dr Jinhua says that other countries such as the US have now introduced these methods with very satisfactory results.

“If this treatment is made available in Malta, I’m sure that many people will benefit from it. Maybe at first, people might be wary or doubtful whether a herb can really be effective. Yet once people start obtaining positive results, others will surely follow, and we would be doing a great service to this country.”