Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is being widely used to treat A(H1N1) flu patients in China, a senior health official confirmed yesterday.

"China has been, so far, the only country worldwide to introduce traditional medicine, particularly the TCM, which had been practiced for thousands of years in the nation in the treatment of diseases," said Ren Minghui, director of the international cooperation department of the Ministry of Health (MOH).

As of late yesterday, health authorities had announced 39 confirmed A(H1N1) flu cases and one additional suspected case on the Chinese mainland.