PRACTICE OF TRADITIONAL AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN MALAYSIA

About the Book

Malaysia is one of the few countries in the world with well-established health system that provide universal coverage of essential services to its citizen. The country is blessed with multi-ethnic societies rich with cultural heritage. Traditional and Complementary Medicine (T&CM) based on Malay, Chinese and Indian practice modalities have been in existence for more than a century. In 2006, the government of Malaysia took a bold step to formally integrate T&CM into the national health system of Malaysia. This book reports the outcome of a study conducted among health professionals in five major hospitals in Malaysia covering their knowledge, practical experience and attitudes toward T&CM. Four of the hospitals were integrated hospitals providing various modalities of T&CM to patients on regular basis. Qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in the study in order to obtain valid and reliable information from the respondents. Doctors, nurses and pharmacists practicing modern medicine in these five hospitals filled up self-administered questionnaires. The respondents were subsequently selected to participate in a more detail in-depth interviews. The book provides the best reference on the acceptance of T&CM in the modern health system that can be used as guide to policy makers in other parts of the world that plan to embark on the similar policies.

About the Author

Dr Magfiret Abdulveli Bozlar is an Associate Professor and the Head Department of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, International School of Medicine, University of Health Science (SBU) in Turkey. She obtained her first degree in Uyghur Traditional Medicine from Xinjiang, China and PhD in Public Health from National University of Malaysia and United Nations University –International Institute for Global Health. Dr Syed Mohamed Aljunid is the Founding Professor and Chair of Department of Health Policy and Management, Faculty of Public Health, Kuwait University. He served for more than 30 years as Professor of Health Economics and Public Health Medicine in Faculty of Medicine National University of Malaysia. He was also appointed as the Founding Senior Research Fellow of United Nations University –International Institute for Global Health.