BUDAPEST, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Prevention is one of the wisest, cheapest and most efficient ways to avoid diseases, and this is also one of the fundamental teachings of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), Csaba Hende, deputy speaker of Hungary's parliament, said at the opening ceremony of the 16th World Congress of Chinese Medicine, a two-day event that opened here on Friday.
"Today is a great day in the common history of TCM and Hungary, when more than 700 doctors, professors and experts gather here in our beautiful capital city from five continents of the world. Their objective is to protect the health and future of our children and grandchildren by combining their strengths and by making good use of the wealth of more than 5,000 years of knowledge of TCM," Hende said.
"Our modern, everchanging world faces new challenges, not only do I think of earthquakes and catastrophes, but I am thinking of epidemics, new viruses, bacteria and civilizational diseases," he said, adding that overcoming these challenges required cooperation among scientists and doctors.
Zoltan Csiki, undersecretary at the Hungarian Ministry of Human Resources, said "We have a firm intention to develop further the relationship between China and Hungary in healthcare. In fact, the cooperation in medical sciences and healthcare between the two countries has become stronger and stronger in recent years."
"Hungary was the first country in the European Union that accepted the Chinese medical degrees. Following this, the Semmelweis University in Budapest has been offering courses in TCM since 2011," he said.
"Hungary is and will remain open towards the TCM and is ready to play an important role in transferring the knowledge on western medicine to our Chinese partners," Csiki added.
Present at the congress with a large stand was Dr. Chen Pharmacy, a good manufacturing practice (GMP) founded and operated by a Chinese doctor, Chen Zhen, in Budapest. Its TCM products have been sold in central and eastern European markets.
"Dr. Chen Pharmacy has been doing business in Hungary for more than 20 years," a Ms Balintfy, employee of Pharmacy, told Xinhua.
"We are dealing mostly with herbs, teas, infusions and capsules made from herb extracts," she said, noting that the firm had a production unit in Budapest, which generates some 80 percent of its sales.
"Our products are available countrywide," she said.
The congress, organized by the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies and hosted by the Central and Eastern European TCM Association and the Hungarian TCM Association, has drawn TCM experts and practitioners from over 30 countries and regions.
