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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 30 AUGUST 2015 8 News TIM DIACONO WHAT looks set to become the most unusual Masters' course at the University of Malta could actually produce graduates to cater to a rising global and local demand for traditional Chinese medication. That is the view of Prof. Charles Savona Ventura, an experienced obstetrician and director of the university's new Centre for Tradi- tional Chinese Medicine. "More and more patients are seeking assistance in the TCM clinics at Mater Dei and the Cor- radino prison's TCM centre," Savona Ventura told MaltaToday. "The university felt that it was op- portune to introduce a postgradu- ate course in TCM to enable Mal- tese practitioners gain experience in the fields and thus allow them to apply TCM methods to supple- ment contemporary medicine." The Masters' course was an- nounced earlier this year, as part of a collaboration between the University of Malta and the Shanghai University for Tradi- tional Chinese Medicine – re- cently ranked by a research team as the 27th best medical school in China. As part of the agreement, Chinese lecturers from Shanghai University will open a TCM clinic at the Tal-Qroqq clinic. Seven students, all of them Mal- tese, have so far applied to join this one-year course. Starting from October, the accepted students will be tutored in acupuncture and moxibustion – the therapeu- tic practice of applying the burned mugwort herb on a patient's skin. They will also be instructed in the philosophy of TCM – the be- lief that the human body is intrin- sically related to its surrounding environment, and that diseases are a result of disharmony between the body and the environment. Despite the lack of scientific evi- dence to back up TCM, the uni- versity will only consider students with a background in healthcare for the course. "This way, professionals will be able to use TCM methods to supplement mainline medicine, rather than use it as a stand-alone alternative," Savona Ventura ex- plained. "Nobody should in any way resort to TCM waylaying mainstream medicine." Exposing medical professionals to TCM could also encourage re- search into whether the millennia- old therapy has a physiological ba- sis or simply works as a placebo. "The stimulation of nerve end- ings in the periphery will set up a series of chemical changes that eventually reach the brain, so there may be a valid scientific reason for TCM action," Savona Ventura explained. Until that time though, the pro- fessor encourages TCM as a sup- plementary treatment for pain relief. "There are situations where con- temporary mainstream medicines cannot fully satisfy the patient in need, possibly because of the dose- restrictions of analgesic drugs due to side effects," he said. "There is no doubt that observational ex- perience suggests that TCM does help manage some conditions, especially those related to pain relief." OVER 3,000 bikers and cyclists took part in the second edition of the President's Bike Ride @ Night rendering it a success, the Office of the President said. The bike ride was held to raise money for the Malta Community Chest Fund. Thanking the participants, the President said the MCCF was the only national fund to help citizens facing serious illnesses or poverty. The bike ride kicked off at Ver- dala Palace in Buskett while cy- clists departed from San Anton Palace in Attard. The event came to an end with a concert at Mon- tekristo Estates in Hal Farrug. 3,000 bikers, cyclists take part in President's night bike ride Prof. Charles Savona Ventura – director of the university's Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine University to launch course in traditional Chinese medicine Second edition of the President's bike ride at night turns out to be a success, Office of the President says Hold on tight! President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca and her husband Edgar join bike ride in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund