The Health Bureau has included traditional Chinese medicine services in the public healthcare system since 1999. Traditional Chinese Medicine and outpatient acupuncture services are presently available in the Health Centres of: Areia Preta; Fai Chi Kei; Ilha Verde; Praia do Manduco; and Lago. Outpatient acupuncture and moxibustion services are available at Tap Seac Health Centre and Seac Pai Van Health Centre.

Traditional Chinese medicine uses four diagnostic methods: inspection, listening and smelling, inquiring, and palpation. There is comprehensive examination and thorough understanding of the condition of the patient, so as to differentiate cases and treat disease. Thus treatment is based on syndrome differentiation.

Acupuncture is often used clinically for various pain disorders, in stroke recovery and to deal with other health conditions.

When traditional Chinese medicine practitioners perform acupuncture, they apply needles to specific acupuncture points on the patient, and use a variety of techniques to stimulate those points, in order to treat various health conditions.

The addition of a ‘teding diancibo pu’ (TDP) lamp, which translates as “specific electromagnetic spectrum” lamp, can improve the efficacy of acupuncture treatment for some health conditions.

A doctor trained in traditional Chinese medicine performs acupuncture on a patient.

A traditional Chinese medicine pharmacist prepares oral medication based on a prescription issued by a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine.

Since August 2022, the city’s Health Centres have operated an intelligent dispensing system for traditional Chinese medicine formula granules, including an automated formula-granule cabinet, allowing for more convenient dispensing of prescription traditional Chinese medicine to residents.

The traditional Chinese medicine intelligent dispensing system mixes different granule varieties according to the relevant prescription. The system is capable of packaging the granule mix in small bags and by dose, on each occasion.