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B.C.’s traditional Chinese medicine practitioners are trying to find ways to better lobby the province to gain wider acceptance, including more recognition under the Medical Services Plan, as the public profile of their trade grows.

To that end, a large group of practitioners gathered at Vancouver’s Chinese consulate last month to discuss how to better coordinate industry efforts, including potential funding and legislative approval for health facilities that practice traditional medicine. They see the provincial election next May as an opportunity to lobby for change.

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Ben Bao-qi Cao, chair of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of B.C., said at the meeting that the first step is to combine the various voices in the Chinese-medicine industry to engage the province more effectively.

“Something that people in our field need to realize is that here, to be a medical professional, you need legal certification,” Cao said. “That means the first step to any effort for recognition is legislative (legalization). Without that, you don’t have a legal basis to your craft, and you can’t practice in mainstream society.”