(Delivered in Parliament on 11 February 2019)
Sir,
The bill before us aims to regulate and professionalise further the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） in Singapore. It does so through tightening existing disciplinary processes and implementing new mandatory Continuing Education requirements.
The enhancement of professional standards that this bill aims to bring about is welcome.
Sir,
As TCM practice grows more regulated and professional, I urge the Ministry not to spare complementary efforts to integrate TCM into our healthcare system, to the fullest extent warranted by existing evidence of efficacy and also safety. Since 2013, the Ministry has provided $8 million dollars in funding for collaborative research projects between researchers and practitioners in TCM and in our universities and hospitals. As these projects and also research and trials undertaken elsewhere in the world lead to increased adoption of TCM in our healthcare, I hope complementary changes can then also be considered with a view to making the benefits of regulated and professional TCM more easily available to Singaporeans. Such as the provision of subsidies for TCM treatment under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) or Pioneer Generation Scheme (PG), the increased scope for payment in Medisave funds for TCM items, or the recognition of medical certificates (MCs) issued by TCM practitioners.
Thank you.
议长先生，
今天的法案旨在加强本地对中医药的监管框架，及透过强制性的中医继续教育计划，提高执业者的专业水平，希望借此确保本地中医师和针灸师“与时并进”。对此我表示欢迎。
议长先生，
我们知道中医和西医本源不同、本质不同、职业训练及行业结构都不同。有效的监管方式照理不尽相同。但西医为现代医学主流，医疗、卫生、保健的模式相对完善，在专业训练及监管方面都有值得学习及借鉴的成果。
议长先生，
当前我国体制对中医药的支持限定在现代科学体系框架内：也就是说中医药在本地的未来发展取决于它的现代化、科学化及它与现代科学技术的有机结合。我希望朝这方向我们的脚步能跨大、能加快，对推动中医药走向世界做出我们的贡献。同时，希望那些安全性和有效性都已经在临床实践中获得充分检验的中医药治疗方法，能尽快继而推广，纳入健保制度，让更多患者获益。在那时，政府可采纳配套措施，实现国民人人基本享有中医药服务，包括扩大保健储蓄金的付费范围、增加社保援助计划、建国一代计划及其它计划下对中医药治疗费用的补助、以及改善中医师发出医疗证书的效益。
谢谢。