LOME, June 17 -- For close to 20 years, Dr. Yves Amegandji, a Togolese physician, has been providing traditional Chinese medicine treatment from his private clinic called "Orient" which is situated in the Togolese capital's populous neighbourhood of Bè.

Amegandji, 50 years old, studied in Tianjin Medical University in China, as part of Togo-China friendship and bilateral cooperation. He returned home in 1994, and established his private clinic five years later.

"Chinese traditional medicine has shown to be effective in treating facial paralysis, hemiplegia and some urinary problems," Amegandji told Xinhua, revealing that St. Joseph Hospital, a famous private clinic in Togo, had already referred to him three patients suffering from palsy and meningitis.

"Most health facilities are reluctant to openly direct patients with such problems to my clinic but nurses mostly do it secretly," he said.

To promote traditional Chinese medicine treatment methods, Dr. Amegandji participates in radio and television programs that focus on health issues.

Stella Akossiwa Wiedermann, a 51-year old Togolese, told Xinhua that she had been undergoing successful treatment at Orient clinic for the last four years.

"I heard about him on radio and I am very delighted that he has treated me for the last four years," Akossiwa Wiedermann who was suffering from menopause hot flash problems said, adding that "Chinese traditional medicine had brought relief into her life."

But, the road to this level of popularity has not been easy for the former student of Tianjin Medical University.

Amegandji told Xinhua that after returning home, he was forced to spend years in private and public health centers, trying to acquaint himself with other doctors and familiarize with tropical diseases that are unknown in China as well as learning some European conventional medicine vocabularies.

"The other problem was that insurance companies did not cover traditional Chinese medicine, making it difficult for patients to pay the cost by themselves," he said, but added that most patients had appreciated acupuncture treatment which has proven to be more effective than conventional medicine.

The Togolese physician recalled his schooling years in China, noting that availability of medical technology, laboratories and experimentation facilities made the education really pragmatic.