Clipping Board » Medical Affairs and Administration ─ Medical system, pharmaceuticals, and medical community-related reports
United Daily News / Reporters Shi Jingru, Zhan Jianfu, Chen Huihui / Taipei Report 2012.04.17
The Department of Health stated that traditional bone-setting and massage services originally located in Chinese medicine clinics must be physically separated from the clinics, such as with cement walls or doors, and cannot use only curtains as partitions. They must also have separate entrances and obtain a business registration license. The new rule takes effect on May 1, with a three-month grace period for businesses to comply.
Shih Chung-liang, director of the Department of Medical Affairs under the Department of Health, said that according to a 2010 administrative order, optometry departments within ophthalmology clinics are permitted but must serve only the clinic’s patients. If they wish to operate publicly, they must have independent entrances. The same measures will apply to massage services in Chinese medicine clinics. The Department of Health will hold further discussions with consumer groups, Chinese medicine practitioners, and traditional bone-setting and massage therapists by the end of the month before finalizing management regulations.
The Department of Health’s policy shift has raised public suspicion that it succumbed to legislative pressure. Shih Chung-liang denied this, stating that the move is to protect consumer rights and balance practitioners’ livelihoods, "not to legitimize massage services as they are."
At yesterday’s meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee, whether massage therapists should remain in Chinese medicine clinics became a key focus. Kuomintang legislator Su Ching-chuan said these practitioners deal with matters affecting lives daily, and improper handling could lead to paralysis. He is initiating a petition to regulate them under Chinese medicine and traditional therapy practitioners.
Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chen Ou-po added that this is an era of certification, and proper regulations must be established. "Some unscrupulous legislators are pressuring and causing chaos. We shouldn’t end up regressing or opening loopholes."
Kao Pin-shu, deputy head of the Massage Therapists’ Self-Help Association, said the Department of Health’s demand for independent entrances and business registration within three months is unreasonable. The association may protest on May 20. He criticized the Department of Health’s ten management rules for massage therapists as distrustful, including prohibitions on medical practices, claims of efficacy, medical advertising, billing for medical services, dispensing medicine, displaying or selling medical equipment, improper solicitation, wearing similar attire to medical personnel, and requirements for separate partitions, entrances, and wearing identification badges while working.
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ NATIONAL/ NATS2/ 7032601. shtml#ixzz1sH2n6TZF
TCM Clinic Massage Area Requires Solid Wall Partition
The Department of Health stated that traditional bone-setting and massage services originally located in Chinese medicine clinics must be physically separated from the clinics, such as with cement walls or doors, and cannot use only curtains as partitions. They must also have separate entrances and obtain a business registration license. The new rule takes effect on May 1, with a three-month grace period for businesses to comply.
Shih Chung-liang, director of the Department of Medical Affairs under the Department of Health, said that according to a 2010 administrative order, optometry departments within ophthalmology clinics are permitted but must serve only the clinic’s patients. If they wish to operate publicly, they must have independent entrances. The same measures will apply to massage services in Chinese medicine clinics. The Department of Health will hold further discussions with consumer groups, Chinese medicine practitioners, and traditional bone-setting and massage therapists by the end of the month before finalizing management regulations.
The Department of Health’s policy shift has raised public suspicion that it succumbed to legislative pressure. Shih Chung-liang denied this, stating that the move is to protect consumer rights and balance practitioners’ livelihoods, "not to legitimize massage services as they are."
At yesterday’s meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee, whether massage therapists should remain in Chinese medicine clinics became a key focus. Kuomintang legislator Su Ching-chuan said these practitioners deal with matters affecting lives daily, and improper handling could lead to paralysis. He is initiating a petition to regulate them under Chinese medicine and traditional therapy practitioners.
Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chen Ou-po added that this is an era of certification, and proper regulations must be established. "Some unscrupulous legislators are pressuring and causing chaos. We shouldn’t end up regressing or opening loopholes."
Kao Pin-shu, deputy head of the Massage Therapists’ Self-Help Association, said the Department of Health’s demand for independent entrances and business registration within three months is unreasonable. The association may protest on May 20. He criticized the Department of Health’s ten management rules for massage therapists as distrustful, including prohibitions on medical practices, claims of efficacy, medical advertising, billing for medical services, dispensing medicine, displaying or selling medical equipment, improper solicitation, wearing similar attire to medical personnel, and requirements for separate partitions, entrances, and wearing identification badges while working.
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ NATIONAL/ NATS2/ 7032601. shtml#ixzz1sH2n6TZF