A study on exploration of the reasons why traditional Chinese medicine (TMC) is used in Maldives

އައިޝަތު އިބްރާހިމް; Ibrahim, Aishath

dc.contributor.author	އައިޝަތު އިބްރާހިމް
dc.contributor.author	Ibrahim, Aishath
dc.date.accessioned	2018-04-05T07:57:46Z
dc.date.available	2018-04-05T07:57:46Z
dc.date.issued	2016-04-26
dc.identifier.citation	Ibrahim, A. (2016). A study on exploration of the reasons why traditional Chinese medicine (TMC) is used in Maldives. Faculty of Health Sciences, Male', Maldives.	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://saruna.mnu.edu.mv/jspui/handle/123456789/1675
dc.publisher	ފެކަލްޓީ އޮފް ހެލްތު ސައިންސު	en_US
dc.publisher	Faculty of Health Sciences
dc.subject	Alternative Medicine
dc.subject	Use of traditional Chinese Medicine
dc.subject	Reason
dc.subject	Need and benefit
dc.title	A study on exploration of the reasons why traditional Chinese medicine (TMC) is used in Maldives	en_US
dc.type	Other	en_US
dcterms.abstract	Background: WHO Traditional Medicine policy 2014-2023, states that Traditional Medicine (TM) and Alternative Medicine (AM) is an important and often underestimated part of health system and encourages to integrate TM and AM into health system through health policy. For a health policy, knowledge based information is required and WHO Traditional Medicine Policy 2014-2023 has proposed questions. Among these questions, questions that are relevant to Maldivian context are taken as research questions in this study; as for the reasons why traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is used in Maldives. Method: This is an empirical study that will use deductive reasoning for exploration. Focus group discussion and individual interviews was used for patients, aged 18 and above, from Natural Care Clinic and Chinese Health Care. A thematic, descriptive approach was applied to analyze the data. Result: The motivating factors for patients to use TCM are effectiveness of TCM, the inefficiency of conventional medicine (CM) and other forms of health care (AM, Dhivehi Beys’), TCM remaining as an option when there is no cure for their illnesses, increasing dissatisfaction with current health care services, whole patient care, patient’s belief that TCM have no side effects and CM not being ideal. TCM and Chinese Health Care Facilities (CHCFs) are mostly recommended by friends and family. Patients are using TCM when they have chronic and other minor ailments. Out of 23 patients 7 patients are using TCM along with CM. TCM is take as a complementary to CM to restore health. They believe it could be beneficial and experienced that it is safe to use, which is a concerning discovery that relevant government sectors or authorities must take notice of. The rest of the 16 patients took only TCM. The reasons for only taking TCM were its effectiveness, no side effects and use of herbal medicines. The benefits of using TCM from CHCF’s are receiving good services, easy to get services, getting patient oriented care and cost saving. Therefore, findings from this study indicate the role TCM playing in primary health care and importance of accruing knowledge-based information for policy. Hence, the result of the study can be transferable to a wider the population of the similar context on the reasons why TCM is used from CHCF.