Unique treatments for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes allow doctors to build a reputation among Beijing residents.

Located inside a quiet residential area, the Beijing Tibetan Hospital is the only ethnical hospital at the national level in China. Ethnic elements are seen everywhere in the hospital, with its unique Tibetan architecture and Tibetan curtains dotting the corridors. The hospital, which was co-established in 1992 by the China Tibetology Research Center and the Shannan prefecture of the Tibetan autonomous region, has received more than 1 million medical visits from patients originating from more than 60 countries. Language barriers are often an obstacle between patients and the Tibetan doctors and interpreters are frequently needed.

Winning over the patients' trust was a time-consuming process. Few Beijing residents would resort to the hospital when it first opened, according to Wang Bin, the deputy dean of the hospital.

"Many people thought that it was a place for Tibetan people and never thought of stepping inside. And even when they did, the simple facilities aroused doubts: are they truly capable of curing our diseases?" he recalls.

Yet the hospital, with its unique treatments for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, and liver and gallbladder diseases, gradually built a reputation.

The hospital has so far trained more than 100 medical students from at least six countries on traditional Tibetan medicine.

Wang said the potential of traditional Tibetan medicine is still far from being fully explored and more support and recognition from patients are required.

"Only about 20 traditional Tibetan medical establishments are on the list of medical establishments recognized by the national health insurance. The figure is too small compared with those providing Western medicine services," he said.

China Daily

(China Daily 06/12/2013 page6)