WM (TCM?) Medical internet bridge between USA and China

[Guest guest]

In the local news(1) this week was announced the

creation of a web portal making available medical

research and " health-related information " from

the USA to the Chinese " consumers and health

professionals. " Expected launch date is sometime

this summer. The participants are Bridgetech

Holdings International Inc (Solana Beach/San

Diego, " a company focused on maximizing the

potential of emerging healthcare products and

services in China and the U.S., " ) for the

implementation, Stanford University School of

Medicine and Texas A & M Health Center, presumably

for the data, and Chine's Wu Jieping Medical

Foundation. Wu Jieping is an organ of the PRC

Ministry of Health, founded in 2002. " The mission

of this charitable organization is to promote

and, ultimately, introduce state-of-the-art

healthcare products and services to the medical community and consumers alike.

 

The CEO of Bridgetech is quoted as describing the

venture as " satisfying a demand for Western

medicine among Chinese consumers, many of whom

still rely on traditional or herbal remedies to

treat illness. " Mention is made of expected

growth of the Chinese middle class from 250

million to 600 million in by 2020. Like the

younger generation Chinese hightech workers here

in Silicon Valley, it seems the Chinese middle

class is being conditioned to and become

consumers of WM. Around here (Silicon Valley),

it's mainly the older family members who have

immigrated here who patronize the local TCM practitioners.

 

I bring this up here as the quotation above

( " many… still rely on traditional .. remedies " )

struck me as further confirmation of the notion,

documented by Kim Taylor and Paul Unschuld, among

others, that TCM continues marching along a path

of planned obsolescence. That is, the quotation

could be interpreted to connote that the Chinese

middle class will probably gravitate to WM when

given the opportunity (availability and

marketing), and most certainly if the government

promotes it. " Bridgetech has longstanding

relationships with leading healthcare

organizations both in the U.S and China and close

ties to government, regulatory and business

communities in both countries. " (from their website)

 

The BridgeTech site appears to focus on marketing

and financial aspects. Another notice (March 6)

announces " they have established a new entity to

distribute Bridgetech's products throughout the

Peoples Republic of China (PRC). " The agreement

is with the Wu JiePing Medical Foundation, which

" works with an extensive member network of more

than 300 of China's most esteemed hospitals. "

 

In another announcement, (BridgeTech partnere

with Ch. Univ. of Hong Kong), mention is made:

" This relationship will also facilitate

additional research on Traditional Chinese

Medicines flowing back through leading research institutions in the U.S. "

 

 

 

1) In the " Palo Alto Daily News " , Monday May 1,

from PR by Stanford University, which is situated

at Palo Alto. According the Bridgetech website,

the original announcement was on April 10.