DISPOSABLE NEEDLES IN TCM CLINICS

DISPOSABLE NEEDLES IN TCM CLINICS

28.

Ms Indranee Rajah asked the Minister for Health (a) whether Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) departments in our Government hospitals use disposable acupuncture needles to prevent possible infection; and (b) whether steps are being taken to prevent the occurrence, in our hospitals, of the newly identified syndrome of acupuncture mycobacteriosis.

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Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Only National University Hospital, Singapore General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital provide acupuncture services as part of their hospital services. Otherwise, the TCM clinics set up within the premises of restructured hospitals are independent entities, as tenants of the hospitals. All of them use disposable acupuncture needles only.

A recent British Medical Journal (BMJ) article (18th March) highlighted the possibility of infection in acupuncture sites, referred to as "acupuncture mycobacteriosis". This is not a new discovery but a known complication. However, the infection is uncommon, is often mild and has limited spread. Not surprisingly, the article attracted many negative responses, describing it as "sensational and alarmist". However the potential of a serious complication due to a contaminated needle must always be borne in mind by the practitioners.

The key to eliminate such a complication is proper infection control procedures. We require these to be practised at all times in all the acupuncture facilities here. The proper practice of acupuncture is included in the curriculum of both the training of TCM practitioners and also in the Singapore TCM Registration Examination.

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