GEORGE TOWN: Health Ministry has called on traditional medicine practitioners to discuss with them on ways to promote and improve marketing of their products.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said Malaysia is still lacking in terms of promoting and marketing its traditional medicine abroad despite the growing number of practitioners in the country.
"For instance, Malaysia has the 'tongkat ali' but are we aware that it was patented in the United States? This is where we are lacking in this industry.
"We welcome ideas and suggestions from those involved so that we can improve further," he said after the National Transformation 2050 (TN50) talk at Politeknik Balik Pulau campus here today.
He was responding to a question from one of the participants who wanted to know about the initiatives taken so far to improve the industry.
Hilmi pointed out that so far 15 government hospitals nationwide had been promoting and offering traditional medicine as an alternative treatment.
He said the Traditional Medicine Council was set up last year by the ministry to regulate the industry.
Some 2,800 doctors and medical practitioners from Penang attended the TN50 Health Aspiration dialogue sessions today.
Also present was Medical Development Division director Datuk Dr Azman Abu Bakar.