Treatments that Blend Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Joan Pereira

MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC

Question No. 2112

To ask the Minister for Health (a) how many clinical trials featuring integrative treatments that utilise western and traditional Chinese medicine are in the works; and (b) how will the landscape for integrative medicine evolve in the years to come and what are the expected treatment costs.

Written Reply

1        The Ministry of Health has been encouraging collaborative research between researchers and practitioners in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and those from our healthcare institutions and institutes of higher learning.   To support this, the Ministry established the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Research Grant in 2013.  We have provided $8 million funding to date. 

2        10 research projects were funded after the first two grants calls, and they are in various stages of progress.  Examples of the collaborative projects include (i) a randomized controlled trial conducted by the Singapore Eye Research Institute and Singapore Chung Hwa Medical Institution on the use of acupuncture and herbal treatment in dry eyes, and (ii) a study conducted by KK Hospital and Singapore Thong Chai Medical Institution on the supportive role of TCM in the management of mild to moderate childhood asthma.  The third grant call closed on 30 June 2018 and the proposals are being reviewed. 

3        TCM plays a complementary role in our healthcare system. Where evidence for efficacy and safety is demonstrated, like acupuncture for pain management and post-stroke rehabilitation, our public healthcare institutions have incorporated these into the care for patients.  As more research evidence supporting its efficacy emerges, TCM can play a larger role. 

4        However, as we are still in the early stages of our research collaborations, we are unable to estimate the future costs of treatments integrating conventional western and traditional Chinese medicine.  We will continue to monitor the progress and evaluate research evidence supporting not only its effectiveness but also its safety when TCM is used together with modern mainstream medicine.