Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has ushered in major opportunities for development in 2019, which will benefit more Chinese people.

Foreign physicians learn massage at the TCM Hospital of Yunnan Province. (Photo/Chinanews.com)

TCM medical institutions grew rapidly in China in 2019, and the service capacity of TCM has continued to improve.

Data from the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine indicated that by the end of March 2019, 9,990 TCM clinics have been put on record; whereas by the end of June, the number of TCM medical institutions in China have increased to more than 63,000, including 5,016 TCM hospitals.

TCM ushered in a highlight moment in October 2019 when the national conference on traditional Chinese medicine was held, and measures were taken to overcome the difficult and complicated problems in the process of TCM inheritance and innovation, and in striving to make ordinary people better enjoy the services of TCM covering the whole life cycle.

The internationalization of TCM has also taken a key step forward in 2019. In March, the Chinese traditional medicine (TCM) evidence-based medical center, the world's first organization of such kind, was officially established, so as to provide more basis for the clinical safety and effectiveness of TCM, and better promote TCM to the world.

Moreover, a number of overseas centers for TCM, such as the China-Belarus center for traditional Chinese medicine, were established in 2019. Chinese medicine is rapidly integrating into the international medical system and making greater contributions to human health and well-being.

Many experts believe that in 2020 the TCM will step up its effort in going global and benefiting more Chinese people by increasing the capacity of grassroots services.