Lagos State set to introduce Chinese Traditional Medicine in Hospitals

The Lagos State government and the People’s Republic of China have put plans in motion to collaborate on traditional medicine, an arrangement that will see doctors from the Far-East Asian country introduce non-orthodox, Chinese traditional medical practice such as acupuncture in the state hospitals.

Visiting Chinese Minister of Overseas Affairs, Qiu Yuanping, who expressed happiness with this development, said it was part of efforts to further boost Nigeria-China relationship, as well as to mark 45 years of bilateral relationship between both countries.

She spoke at China Town in Ojota, Lagos, when doctors under the auspices of Chinese Affairs Office of State Council of China and China State Administration of Chinese Traditional Medicine came into Lagos recently, to promote Chinese traditional medicine and to attend to residents suffering various ailments.

The Chinese minister was accompanied by the country’s Consul General in Lagos, Chao Xiaoliang and other Chinese nationals resident in Lagos.

They were welcomed to China Town by its founder, Sun Gouping.

While welcoming the new development, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, congratulated the Chinese community in Nigeria for its steadfastness in promoting health in the country. Speaking through a Director in his ministry, Dr. Layeni Adeyemo, Dr. Idris expressed confidence that the initiative would further boost the health needs of Lagosians.

“Collaboration with the Chinese government in this regard will be a new and positive development. Lagos State on its part has been working to maximize the benefits of traditional medicine for years now. This means that we can research into traditional Chinese medicine and document the findings for the benefit of the end users, for there is documented evidence that these things work. Therefore, Lagos State would like to meet with the visiting medical team to see how we can have better collaboration,” he said.