Medical staff from a hospital of traditional Chinese medicine in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region display their sachet bags. Photo: VCG

A deputy to the National People's Congress has proposed to attach more importance to the conservation of wild traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) and basic research on breeding and seedling technology and strengthen the protection of high-quality TCM products through related policy support.

"In the face of people's growing medical and health needs, the development of TCM has a long way to go," said Jiao Qisen, who is also the chairman of TUS-Pharmaceutical Group, on Monday at the ongoing two sessions.

TCM plays an important role in disease prevention and treatment in China. Over the past decade, the healthy and sustainable development of TCM has been included in China's national strategy as a strategic priority, bearing the dual responsibility of cultural confidence and building a healthy China.

The advantages and benefits of TCM lie in clinical practice. The key to the high-quality development of TCM is to improve clinical efficacy, provide high-quality services and produce high-quality products.

"At present, the development of TCM has a good momentum," Jiao noted. However, there are also some protruding problems, such as lack of basic researches, discovery, managing effective inheritance of TCM ancient prescriptions, the protection of TCM varieties and the inheritance and promotion of the culture, Jiao said.

More attentions should be paid to the conservation of wild TCM varieties and basic researches into breeding and seedling technology. Jiao said that a special mechanism should be set up for private capital to invest in basic researches on the cultivation of rare and endangered wild TCM materials and their planting techniques, in addition to establishing a national database of medical resources.

Jiao proposed the establishment of a professional TCM materials breeding platform and database or authority for identifying TCM materials and seedlings, clarifying the basic source of wild medicinal materials and regulating the management of TCM.

Jiao also suggested strengthening the protection of high-quality TCM products and related policy support. To better protect the prescriptions, three levels of protection range and protection mode should be established for the varieties that have been on the market and widely used in the clinic. At the same time, the coordination between the National Health Commission, the National Medical Products Administration and the National Healthcare Security Administration should be improved to provide policy support for the medical procurement of TCM-protected varieties.

Some political advisors and legislators also called for policies supporting the high-quality development of TCM. Zhang Boli, another NPC deputy and academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering and head of the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, proposed on Friday to promote the digitalization of TCM pharmaceutical industry.

The key to the realization lies in basic research and multidisciplinary technical cooperation, as well as the support of national projects, Zhang noted.

Jiao also proposed the establishment of a national museum of TCM to promote the popularization and inheritance of TCM culture, and enhance the sense of cultural identity and pride throughout the country.