Chinese medicine will have a role to play in the fight against the recent influenza outbreak as the Hospital Authority (HA) announced yesterday that public Chinese medicine clinics will provide Chinese herbs as prevention.

The HA also announced that eight public Chinese medicine clinics will remain open during the Easter holidays.

The HA has reviewed guidelines for Chinese medicine clinics in view of the recent influenza outbreak.

"Chinese medicine clinics will serve as a preventative measure for healthy people or a treatment option for patients in early stages of influenza," said Vivian Wong Taam Chi-woon, Advisor of Integrative Medicine from the HA.

"Patients with serious symptoms of influenza will be transferred to emergency rooms for treatment immediately," she said.

Bian Zhaoxiang, Director of Clinical Division, School of Chinese Medicine from the Hong Kong Baptist University, explained that Chinese medicine practitioners will refer patients to emergency rooms when patients have fever, sweat, cough and yellow phlegm.

"We will also refer patients who are in a confused state," he said.

The third and most serious condition that requires referral is "qi" (vital energy) deficiency and low blood pressure, he said.

Liang Zhiying, visiting professor of the School of Chinese Medicine from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said patients have to be diagnosed by a Chinese medicine practitioner for their body constitution before taking Chinese herbs.

According to Chinese medicine theory, there are nine types of body constitutions, such as "hot", "cold" and "neutral" (neither too hot or cold), he noted.

"For people whose constitution is 'neutral', taking Chinese herbs in the right time can improve their constitution and health," he said.

Wong said knowing our body constitution can help in the prevention of influenza with the taking of Chinese medicine.

"It will be helpful for patients to start taking Chinese medicine to maintain the balance of the body," she said.

"In this way we will have a better chance of not catching the influenza," she said.

But Bian advised that the intake of a prolonged course of Chinese herbs have to be under the supervision of Chinese medicine practitioners.

"Chinese herbs are no miracle drug; but we can use it for the prevention of influenza," he said.

Bian advised that we should visit a doctor immediately if we have symptoms of influenza.

We should never wait until we have a fever, he said.

Each visit to a Chinese medicine clinic will cost HK$120 including two doses of Chinese medicine, Wong added.

She said opening the Chinese medicine clinics during Easter can help ease the pressure of out-patient and emergency room services in public hospitals during the epidemic.

We also want to give patients another treatment option apart from western medicine, she said.

We will strictly monitor the operation of each Chinese medicine clinic during Easter, she said.

(HK Edition 03/21/2008 page1)