MANILA — The Department of Health on Tuesday says it plans to learn more about traditional Chinese medicine as possible treatment to COVID-19.

“Kagaya po ng ibang complementary medicine, tinitingan po ng ating mga eksperto kung ano ang maaaring maging gamit ng traditional Chinese medicine laban sa COVID-19,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III during a televised briefing.

(Like other complementary medicine, our experts are looking at how traditional Chinese medicine can be used against COVID-19.)

Duque said this after being asked about the 12 Chinese experts who arrived in the Philippines last week.

Of the 12 doctors and nurses, some are said to specialize in critical care medicine, respiratory infection disease control and prevention, and traditional Chinese medicine.

“Inaasahan natin na dahil sa kanilang karanasan sa paglaban ng COVID-19 sa kanilang bansa, maganda ang maibabahagi nilang mungkahi o suhestiyon,” Duque said.

(We expect that because of their experience in their country in fighting COVID-19, they would be able to give good suggestions.)

COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, China. There were more than 80,000 cases in China until the number of new cases dropped due to social distancing and other efforts.

Duque said they also hope to learn about critical care medicine from the Chinese experts in order to help patients with severe and critical conditions.

The DOH earlier said that the Chinese experts will be offering technical assistance and will be visiting the Lung Center of the Philippines, the Philippine General Hospital, San Lazaro Hospital and the Research Institute for tropical Medicine, as well as community quarantine facilities.

The health secretary pointed out that besides traditional medicine, the Philippines is already part of the World Health Organization’s Solidarity Trial, a multi-country study on four drug and drug combinations believed to be effective in treating COVID-19.

Other efforts being done by the Department of Science and Technology and the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital are clinical trials for the use of virgin coconut oil and experimental treatments using plasma transfusion.