December 20, 2013 - 1:27 PM
VANCOUVER - The B.C. government is keen on creating more traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, but don't expect it to be part of your medical services plan.
Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk took the next step to creating a public traditional Chinese medicine school by announcing the appointment of Burnaby North MLA Richard Lee as the Parliamentary Secretary for Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Virk says there aren't any plans to include traditional Chinese medicine in MSP, though the government currently pays up to $23 per acupuncture visit for those under premium assistance in the province.
Lee will be part of an advisory committee that will be created to research how to start a program in the province, the first such public school for traditional Chinese medicine in Western Canada.
He will be in charge of submitting recommendations on how to create the school at the end of May 2014.
Those who practice traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture are regulated by the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia, which will be overseeing the program.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013