Feature: Namibians embrace Traditional Chinese Medicine for treatments

WINDHOEK, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese medical team in Namibia over the years has managed to avail an alternative treatment of ailments to Namibians through the administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Currently, the Chinese medical team based at the acupuncture department at the Katutura State Hospital in the Namibian capital Windhoek handles around 50 patients daily, with patients from all walks of life embracing TCM therapies making them part and parcel of their recovery routines.

Nita Nujoma, a frequent visitor to the acupuncture department told Xinhua Thursday that she has been undergoing acupuncture sessions for a couple of years.

Nujoma, who suffers from epileptic seizures said her muscles and body are in pain after epileptic seizure episodes, which occur randomly and are unpredictable.

"Acupuncture has been working for me. Things have been getting better and the therapy helps," she said, adding that she loves the therapy sessions as she has embraced acupuncture as an alternative pain reliever.

"I am not saying acupuncture heals epilepsy," she said, adding that acupuncture assists with pain relief and encouraged all Namibians suffering from various pain to embark on similar treatments as it is pretty effective.

Another visitor to the TCM clinic, Petrus Kashimbanga, a pensioner in his prime who has been finding it difficult to kick out the habit of smoking cigarettes told Xinhua that acupuncture therapy assisted him in his journey.

According to Kashimbanga when he started the therapy he was smoking a lot which took a toll on his health.

"I was smoking one packet a day," he said, but since he embarked on acupuncture therapy he gradually started cutting down on his smoking, and to date, he has not smoked.

Kashimbanga said he opted for TCM as he could not take other medications as he felt they were expensive and also felt he was not getting the required output for recovery.

"Acupuncture was the best way to relax my nerves system so that I could use my mind psychologically to get rid of this bad habit," he said, adding that he has since referred a friend to also join in the journey at the TCM clinic.

Meanwhile, with the 19th World Congress of Chinese Medicine kicking off in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Saturday, Xinhua caught up with the Chinese medical team leader in Namibia doctor Zhou Haijiang to zoom in on their progress and work at the TCM clinic.

Zhou said his team has been administering various TCM therapies to locals to treat health problems, such as lower back pain, knee pain, smoking, insomnia, and neck pain among other issues.

Zhou said his team administers therapies including acupuncture, massotherapy, cupping, and music therapy to the Namibian people.

"All the therapies get good results," he said, adding that TCM has become a very popular option to treat various ailments in the southwestern African nation as the clinic is swarmed by a lot of patients daily.

Since 1996, a team of traditional Chinese medical practitioners has been stationed at the Katutura Hospital as part of the cooperative medical projects between China and Namibia and Zhou's team is the 14th batch.

The 19th World Congress of Chinese Medicine which will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil will build a broad platform for the development of traditional Chinese medicine as experts of Chinese Medicine from all over the world assemble and share their knowledge and information about their theoretical research, clinical experience, scientific achievements, new inventions, and creations.