Newmarket registered traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and acupuncturist Kelly Linstead said she has worked for years to get the practice recognized after it helped heal her own health issues.
Part of the industry since 2005, she took part in delegations for traditional Chinese medicine to get regulated and recognized. Practitioners achieved that, with the province creating a college in 2013.
So she said she was “shocked” and “disappointed” when the province announced plans to deregulate traditional Chinese medicine Feb. 28, before backtracking on that decision March 7 after protests.
“It shows us as a profession we have to stick together, even more. Work even stronger with our college to give traditional Chinese medicine a voice and keep educating the public,” she said. “Putting money into research as well, to show the effects-- the proven effects-- of this time-honoured profession.”
The provision was originally included in the province’s new sweeping labour legislation, the Working for Workers Act, which aims to “reduce barriers in the provision of traditional Chinese medicine while ensuring consumer protection.”
But the move sparked protests from the sector and criticism from opposition parties. By Monday, the government had backtracked, instead promising to have the college offer regulatory tests in Mandarin and Cantonese and remove the language barrier.
Linstead said she understands the concern, and it is important for Eastern doctors to have access to the profession. But she said the college does try to accommodate those not fluent in English or French, with those members having a written language plan to ensure a translator is on site. She said that is critical to communicate patient information.
“Until it was regulated, you would hear all the time that people were opening up shops and not having anything in traditional Chinese medicine. It was really affecting the public’s trust,” she said. “The public didn’t have any way of knowing what was their education … It’s really important we protect the whole of the medicine.”
Newmarket registered acupuncturist Marisa Schembri said she got into the field after acupuncture helped a family member with a severe injury. She agreed with the importance of keeping it regulated.
“The act of putting a needle into the dermis is a legal act, and that has to be governed, or it can be disastrous for people if somebody doesn’t know how to do it,” she said. “We go to school. We spend years learning the craft.
“I was very grateful they had decided to back off,” she added. “That’s also sort of a testament to how hard the members of the college worked to save their college.”’
But although the college will remain, Linstead said there is still work to do to push for more recognition in the province. She said the college does not offer a doctorate like some other jurisdictions, including British Columbia.
She also said they have experienced issues with insurance companies not covering traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture versus acupuncture performed by other practitioners.
“There’s so much traditional Chinese medicine that can help the people of Ontario,” she said. “It’s important to progress with our college and the regulation of Chinese medicine. The standards should be getting stricter instead of lessened.”
