Since Chinese medicine entered Switzerland for more than 20 years, there have been more and more Chinese medicine clinics and people engaged in Chinese medicine, and the Swiss people's recognition of Chinese medicine is also increasing. Many favorable factors have promoted the rapid development of Chinese medicine. It can be said that the development of Chinese medicine in Switzerland is in full swing. However, there are still some negative factors that restrict the development of Chinese medicine, such as the uneven level of Chinese medicine, especially the introduction of the new federal examination system implemented in 20 17, which makes some Chinese medicine practitioners fail to pass the language qualification certification, and the shortage of work visas makes it difficult for domestic Chinese medicine elites to enter Switzerland, which makes the development of Chinese medicine in Switzerland enter an embarrassing situation of brain drain and no successors. In view of this, it is very necessary to strengthen Chinese medicine education to ensure the healthy and sustainable development of Chinese medicine in Switzerland.
1 Development Status of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Switzerland
1. 1 Swiss TCM team consists of the following parts:
1. 1. 1 The clinicians invited from China have the highest comprehensive quality in the Swiss Chinese medicine team, and they are generally doctors in provincial and municipal Chinese medicine hospitals and teachers in Chinese medicine colleges. The strength of Swiss traditional Chinese medicine is to see a doctor, and it lacks senior experts who are proficient in theory, clinic, teaching and experiment. However, the Swiss are very sensitive to Chinese medicine therapy and the effect is generally good, so these people are fully qualified to meet the local Chinese medicine medical needs. Many of these people have long been divorced from the practice of Chinese medicine or acupuncture, but they are also engaged in medical activities. For example, I just graduated from a regular Chinese medicine school and have been an administrative official, a nursing staff, or a pharmacy, basic course teacher and other majors in China for a long time.
1. 1.2 People who have studied Chinese medicine in China (or Taiwan Province Province, Hongkong, the United States and other regions). Most of these people are locals or holders of Swiss passports or permanent residence permits. Although foreigners study Chinese medicine and get doctor's and master's degrees from Chinese medicine colleges, they may actually study in China for only a few months. But they are locals with rich interpersonal and social relationships, which are valued by the local government. Their language and cultural background is deeper than that of China people. So these people are the best people in Switzerland, especially those western doctors who have studied Chinese medicine. They can master the lifeblood of Chinese medicine.
1. 1.3 people who make money under the guise of Chinese medicine. These people can damage the image of Chinese medicine most. The source of these people is very complicated. Their job is to run schools, give lectures and give them to apprentices. Some Swiss China people have no knowledge of Chinese medicine, but they are proficient in German. They pretend to be experts in Chinese medicine, but they teach everywhere. The present situation of Chinese medicine in Switzerland can be described as "mixed feelings". If the Swiss government does not take measures to certify and clean up the Chinese medicine industry, sooner or later, like some European countries, the Chinese medicine industry will become a world full of swindlers.
2 Chinese medicine therapy and common diseases in Switzerland
Acupuncture therapy of traditional Chinese medicine involves many clinical disciplines, such as internal medicine, surgery, gynecology and pediatrics, and the diseases treated abroad are more extensive than those treated by acupuncture departments in China. The most common diseases are musculoskeletal, neuropsychiatric and immune diseases, and most of them are patients who are ineffective in various treatments of western medicine. About 90% of the patients are chronic diseases, incurable diseases or patients who want to get rid of dependence on synthetic drugs such as antibiotics and hormones. Among them, the top 12 diseases are: shoulder and neck pain, depression syndrome, headache, migraine, low back pain, insomnia, emaciation, tinnitus and deafness, eczema and other skin diseases, dizziness, stomach pain, pollen allergy. Other diagnosed and treated diseases are: cough and asthma, thirst, palpitation, irregular menstruation, diarrhea, constipation, sweating syndrome, alcohol and tobacco addiction, dysmenorrhea, menopausal syndrome, fatigue, multi-joint pain, postoperative pain, toothache, facial pain, facial paralysis, eye disease, sinusitis, pruritus vulvae, poor pregnancy, infertility, postpartum hypogalactia, gonorrhea, radiotherapy and chemotherapy for malignant tumors.
Chinese medicine has a very good effect on these diseases. For example, allergic rhinitis, which is regarded as fear of the road in China, can get good results through acupoints such as Quchi, Fengchi and Xiang Ying. The author often uses medicine to apply to the umbilicus and cupping the big vertebra, which can almost relieve symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, dry eyes and tears in a short time. Therefore, it can be said that the clinical methods of Chinese medicine, except Chinese medicine therapy, have great room for development. As an important supplement to western medicine, Chinese medicine and western medicine complement each other and complement each other, which should be promising.
Switzerland is located in the northwest of China. Its geography, climate and people's living habits are very similar to Su Wen's. The northern and western regions of "On Different Methods and Appropriate Prescriptions" said: "Northerners, whose land is surrounded by heaven and earth, are high in mountains and chilly, and their folk music is foraging in the wild, dirty and cold, and their treatment is suitable for moxibustion, so those who moxibustion ice also come from the north." "Westerners, the land of gold and jade, the land of sand and stone, the land of heaven and earth. Its people live in Fengling, the soil and water are strong, its people recommend brown but don't wear clothes, and its people eat fat, so evil can't hurt its body, its disease is born inside, and its treatment should be poisonous. Therefore, poison also comes from the west. " The climate is cold, people mainly eat meat and milk, especially like to drink cold, so people with dirty cold and yang deficiency are more common. Because of the cold weather, food is mainly high in calories, which is also common for people with blood stasis. Topographically, it has high latitude, long winter, long nights and short days, insufficient intake of yang, and mental depression. In addition, there are amazing iatrogenic problems, such as irregular menstruation, infertility and various endocrine disorders caused by long-term use of contraceptives, which are very different from China's national conditions. For example, there are many sequelae caused by the extensive use of hormone drugs, pain caused by excessive surgery, dysfunction and so on. These diseases are also treated by Chinese medicine, which has great advantages over western medicine.
2 advantages of sustainable development of Swiss traditional Chinese medicine
2. 1 Swiss people's recognition of Chinese medicine is increasing.
Acupuncture therapy was introduced into Switzerland in the 1990s. After nearly 20 years of development, it has been more and more accepted by Swiss people. More and more people choose acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine for treatment when they are sick. For example, in a clinic in the German-speaking area, the author once treated a patient who lost his sense of smell when he hung colored lights on the Christmas tree at home. After repeated filming and western medicine diagnosis, no brain lesions were found, but there was no sense of smell for half a year. After acupuncture 10 times, patients can smell 3-4 kinds of food after each treatment. After two courses of treatment, he basically recovered his sense of smell. When I first came to Switzerland, I treated 1 bradycardia patients. When this patient first arrived, his heart function was only 70%, his heart rate was 50 beats per minute, and he missed 5-6 beats. Western medicine has no good way to let him rest, but his heart function is getting lower every year. After acupuncture 10 times, the cardiac function rose to 89%, the heart rate was 67 times per minute, and there was basically no cardiac arrest and missed heartbeat. This is the first time in these years that his heart function has improved, which is not easy. At that time, when patients and their families came to me with this result, they cried with joy. It is the magical curative effect of acupuncture and the trust in acupuncture therapy that many patients I have treated constantly recommend new patients for me, and the patients who make appointments every day can meet the daily workload. From point to point, it can be seen that it is the general trend that more and more Swiss advocate acupuncture therapy.
2.2 Basic insurance and additional insurance that can reimburse medical expenses
In May 2009 17 referendum, Chinese medicine was included in the basic medical insurance in Switzerland. At that time, the proportion of Swiss citizens in favor of this motion was as high as 67%, which shows the Swiss people's recognition and enthusiasm for Chinese medicine. There are several medical associations in Switzerland. By joining these medical associations, Chinese medicine clinics can be regarded as therapists of alternative medicine by insurance companies, thus reimbursing medical expenses. Medical insurance in Switzerland is divided into basic insurance and additional insurance. The basic insurance reimburses the expenses of Chinese medicine treatment in western medicine clinics. Additional insurance can reimburse the expenses of acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine, and the number of times of acupuncture reimbursement can be 10, more than 20 times. The reimbursement amount is related to the type of additional insurance selected by the insurer. Now many people in Switzerland have additional risks and can come to acupuncture treatment. Reimbursement of medical expenses by medical insurance is undoubtedly a very favorable factor to expand the development of Chinese medicine.
2.3 the threshold for opening a Chinese medicine clinic is low
It is easy to open a Chinese medicine clinic in Switzerland. Chinese medicine clinics operate as a business model rather than a medical model. The main difference between the two is that the latter does not have to pay business tax, while the former must. To open a clinic according to this business model, the registered capital needs 20,000 Swiss francs, with a certain area of consulting room, Chinese medicine practitioners, corresponding medical equipment and office equipment. Non-Swiss clinics also need a B-card work permit. It can be seen that the threshold for opening a Chinese medicine clinic in Switzerland is very low. In recent years, there have been many clinics jointly run by China people, local doctors and local hospitals. These clinics employ Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists from Chinese mainland, and each doctor can create a monthly benefit of 65,438+05,000-50,000 Swiss francs, and the salary paid by the clinics is about 6,500-7,500 Swiss francs, which shows the great benefits of running the clinics. Because of this, there are more and more clinics at present, just like mushrooms after rain.
The welfare and salary level of Chinese medicine in Switzerland is also much higher than that of doctors at the same level in China. At present, the monthly salary of each doctor in Swiss TCM clinics is about 62,000 RMB, which is equivalent to the total annual salary of China. Personally, I have been practicing Chinese medicine in the Swiss Chinese medicine clinic for more than two years and have a clear understanding of the cause of Chinese medicine in Switzerland. Compared with Germany, France and other countries, Chinese medicine in Switzerland is still in its infancy, but people in this country are generally interested in Chinese medicine, so Chinese medicine still has good opportunities for development in Switzerland.
3. Main restrictive factors affecting the development of Swiss traditional Chinese medicine
3. 1 Uneven medical skills of traditional Chinese medicine are the restrictive factors for the healthy development of traditional Chinese medicine.
As mentioned above, Chinese medicine in Switzerland is composed of several parts. Chinese medicine practitioners who have graduated from regular Chinese medicine colleges in China and have a solid theoretical foundation of Chinese medicine and many years of clinical experience are only a part. So the medical skills of Swiss acupuncturists are uneven. Due to the low medical skills of some Chinese medicine practitioners, there will be deviations in medical treatment from time to time, which will undoubtedly affect the reputation of Chinese medicine practitioners. This is also the main restricting factor for the healthy development of Swiss traditional Chinese medicine.
3. 1. 1 Some existing Chinese medicine practitioners in China will have their foreign language examinations terminated.
Switzerland has gradually implemented the new federal examination system for traditional Chinese medicine since 20 17. The exam requires taking the exam in three official languages of Switzerland, namely, one of German, French and Italian. According to the organizer of the exam, the main purpose of this exam is to test the language communication ability between Chinese medicine and patients. This exam is a doctor's exam in China. Even Chinese medicine practitioners from China who came from England in recent years have good English, but the Swiss official language is not good. At present, various insurance companies in Switzerland have also made it clear that Chinese medicine practitioners can only reimburse treatment fees if they pass this examination.
Therefore, this exam will cause some doctors from China to be eliminated because they failed the language exam, which means that the number of high-level Chinese medicine practitioners from China in Swiss clinics will decrease accordingly. Because there are few Chinese medicine practitioners who can speak German, Italian and French in China, it is increasingly difficult to hire Chinese medicine practitioners who can speak the official Swiss language and have certain medical skills from China. On the one hand, it will lead to the decline of the overall medical level; on the other hand, the clinic that employs China doctors will close down because China doctors failed the language test and the insurance company will not reimburse the patients for treatment fees.
3. 1.2 The reality that the work visa is difficult makes it difficult for Chinese medicine practitioners to enter Switzerland.
Switzerland is a non-immigrant country. After joining Schengen, many people from other Schengen countries entered Switzerland to work and live. To this end, Switzerland even restricted foreigners from entering Switzerland to work through a referendum. In recent years, it is much more difficult for Chinese medicine practitioners in China to get a work visa to work in Switzerland than in previous years. So many Chinese medicine clinics in Switzerland can't import China doctors from China, but China doctors from EU countries. The difficulty in applying for a work visa in Switzerland will further reduce the number of high-level Chinese medicine practitioners from China entering Switzerland.
3.2 The application of Chinese medicine in Switzerland is greatly limited.
Switzerland has strict supervision over drugs, and Chinese medicine is no exception. Many excellent Chinese medicine practitioners in Switzerland will feel that "heroes are useless" because the use of drugs is greatly restricted.
First of all, there are no colorful Chinese medicine dosage forms such as pills, soups, ointments and pills. I have been in Switzerland for more than two years, and I have only used two dosage forms: concentrated extract powder and drops. The concentrated extract powder here is imported from Jiangyin, China and Hongkong, and some of it is concentrated from the original medicinal materials. All kinds of drugs are mixed evenly according to the prescribed dosage, and one spoonful is taken at a time. This dosage form, without the process of decocting, naturally does not produce the magical effect of traditional Chinese medicine. The so-called drops mean that the drugs in the prescription are made into extremely concentrated aqueous solution, and the amount after concentration is so small that it can be counted by "drops".
In addition, there is a serious shortage of medicines. For reasons of humanitarianism and animal protection, most animals in Switzerland have no medicine, not to mention rhinoceros horns and tiger bones, that is, pangolins, and they don't buy them at all. Slightly toxic drugs, such as Rhizoma Typhonii and Radix Aconiti Kusnezoffii, cannot be used. There are still some drugs that need to be processed, which is difficult to meet the requirements. The drug price is extremely expensive, some medical insurance is not reimbursed, and the prescription needs the patient to pay at his own expense, which is also one of the factors affecting the drug treatment of traditional Chinese medicine. According to the effective therapeutic dose, it is more expensive than domestic 10-50 times. It can be seen that although the pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland is second to none in the world, the Chinese medicine industry is extremely irregular, which greatly restricts the development of Chinese medicine.
4 Strengthening the education and training of Chinese medicine is the guarantee for the sustainable development of Chinese medicine in Switzerland [2]
It is not enough for non-immigrant countries to introduce Chinese medicine only at home if Chinese medicine wants to develop abroad, play a lasting role and truly reflect the profoundness of Chinese culture. We must take Swiss natives who love Chinese medicine as the object of education and training, and make them master certain basic theories and skills of Chinese medicine through systematic Chinese medicine education so as to facilitate clinical practice. Then these Chinese medicine practitioners continue to develop Chinese medicine and pass it on from generation to generation. Through comprehensive and systematic education and training, students of basic education should master the basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine and apply it to clinic when they graduate. Participants in continuing education and training should further master the theory of traditional Chinese medicine after training and further improve their academic level. Chinese medicine education in Switzerland should have both basic education and continuing education. To achieve this goal, we might as well combine state-run education with folk education to learn from each other's strengths.
Summary and prospect
Chinese medicine was born in China, and its theory has always been based in China. Nowadays, facing foreigners in a completely new environment and in a foreign country with different constitutions, there will undoubtedly be some unprecedented new situations, which can be described as a new field of modern Chinese medicine research. Carrying out clinical research on Chinese medicine at home and abroad and improving the level of diagnosis and treatment can not only benefit the local people, but also enrich and develop the theory of Chinese medicine.
In addition, the experience of Chinese medicine in detecting pulse condition and tongue condition must be recognized again in Switzerland. The skin color and physique of people here determine that the experience of traditional Chinese medicine cannot be applied in Europe. For example, if we look at the tongue quality, most Europeans' tongue quality is fine and delicate, which looks like the tongue quality of qi deficiency and blood deficiency in textbooks, but often their cold and dampness are very heavy. Judging from the pulse condition, their blood vessels are very elastic, and most people are very cheerful, so they rarely see strings and unsmooth pulses. According to domestic experience, women's pulse slip mostly occurs during menstruation, pregnancy or ovulation. If we judge by experience, there will be problems. Most of the female pulse conditions here are smooth and smooth. Therefore, Switzerland must have high-level Chinese medicine experts who are familiar with local people's feelings. It is best to have your own Chinese medicine colleges and universities to cultivate your own Chinese medicine.
Switzerland is an excellent country, and I am willing to promote the development of Chinese medicine and develop my own life path here. In Switzerland, the future of Chinese medicine is very broad, and there are many undeveloped virgin land. For example, Chinese medicine has become a very popular medical technology in Switzerland, but there are no corresponding subjects in all regular medical schools; There is no special organization in the Swiss national management organization; The unique scientific research institutions in Switzerland have not systematically studied Chinese medicine; Switzerland's world-renowned pharmaceutical industry has not put the development of Chinese medicine in an important position. If the education and training of Chinese medicine can achieve the above goals and cultivate a group of excellent local Chinese medicine doctors and researchers, just as western medicine was introduced to China 100 years ago, Chinese medicine will be followed by others, Chinese medicine will develop healthily and sustainably in Switzerland and even overseas, and Chinese medicine will go deeper and deeper overseas.