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TCM clinic treats patients from around the world
By Wu Huixin |
March 13, 2013, Wednesday
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A family owned TCM clinic founded in the Qing Dynasty is still going strong today. He's Gynecology has such a good reputation that women from around China and other countries fly to Hangzhou to consult with its doctors, writes Wu Huixin.
It may not look like much, but the Chinese-style building with white walls and a black-tiled roof at the corner of Qintai Street and Jianguo Road is famous.
The building is the home of He's Gynecology, one of Hangzhou's most famous traditional Chinese medicine clinics.
Though now attached to Guangxing Hospital affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, He's Gynecology still thrives today, serving about 200,000 outpatients every year.
Just as the name implies, it was established by the He family in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The He family has run the TCM clinic for more than 160 years. These days the clinic is operated by doctor He Jialin, 70, and her sisters and brothers.
He's Gynecology has recently been added to the first group of national TCM heritage and development units by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
"This is a great honor for us," He says. "He's Gynecology is the cohesion of effort from four generations of my family."
Today, as the leader of He's Gynecology, she puts a lot of energy into cultivating successors. She has been busy teaching her nephew the family's TCM therapies and treatments since her own child is not interested in the medical field.
The He's also recruits apprentices outside the family and teaches them without any reservation. Fu Shiping, Hu Zhangru, Chen Yingyi and Zhang Qin, five famous doctors in Zhejiang Province, have all been trained at He's Gynecology.
He Jialin says a person's surname isn't as important as handing down medical skills to others. The clinic now has 19 TCM doctors and the youngest is in the 30s.
Except formal apprentices, there are numerous doctors from other provinces who are attracted by the family's reputation and travel annually to Hangzhou for training at the clinic.
Li Gaifei, a doctor from Henan Province, says people who study gynecology all know about He's Gynecology.
"I come to Hangzhou to learn the therapies here," Li says.
In modern times, TCM is no longer just about ancient methods and prescriptions. He's Gynecology is equipped with a lab, where doctors use sophisticated medical equipment when diagnosing patients.
He Jialin says she always keeps pace with Western medicine and uses the salutary experience of other countries to combine it with TCM.
He says she has noticed a change in the diseases they commonly treat.
Endometriosis and benign tumors in the uterus once made up about 70 percent of cases treated 20 years ago. Now these only account for 20 percent of cases, according to He.
"Today's young women stay up late often, which can lead to health problems," the doctor says. "Pollution and other living habits also have an influence on health. These changes make us constantly adjust the direction of TCM research."
The doctor says a fair number of patients come to the clinic these days because they want a baby and can't get pregnant.
A British-Chinese woman wanted to conceive after her only child died in a traffic accident. She was 51 and her ovaries were not working properly.
She learned about He's Gynecology and flew to Hangzhou to consult with doctors. After taking herbal medicine prescribed by He for three months she began ovulating again and got pregnant.
"She writes to me every Christmas and I visited her in the UK last year. Her child is healthy and vivacious," He says, smiling.
According to the doctor, about 30 percent of the clinic's patients come from other parts of China or other countries.
In another case, a Russian woman who married a Chinese sought medical advice from He's Gynecology. She also conceived after being treated by He.
The clinic first gained a good reputation due to the kindness of its founder, He Jiuxiang, who treated poor people for free.
He Zhixiang was the leader of the second generation to run the clinic. During this period, the Kuomintang government tried to ban TCM, but He Zhixiang kept the clinic going.
He Jialin's father, He Shaoshan, and uncle, He Zihuai, were third generation members of the family to run the clinic. He's Gynecology thrived under their leadership and academics soon recognized its status in the TCM circle.
The fourth generation of He family doctors include He Jiayan, He Jiazhen, He Jiagan and He Jialin. Other doctors in the family now practice TCM in other countries. He Jialang and He Jiaqi practice in Italy, while He Jiaying works in the United States.
It may not look like much, but the Chinese-style building with white walls and a black-tiled roof at the corner of Qintai Street and Jianguo Road is famous.
The building is the home of He's Gynecology, one of Hangzhou's most famous traditional Chinese medicine clinics.
Though now attached to Guangxing Hospital affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, He's Gynecology still thrives today, serving about 200,000 outpatients every year.
Just as the name implies, it was established by the He family in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The He family has run the TCM clinic for more than 160 years. These days the clinic is operated by doctor He Jialin, 70, and her sisters and brothers.
He's Gynecology has recently been added to the first group of national TCM heritage and development units by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
"This is a great honor for us," He says. "He's Gynecology is the cohesion of effort from four generations of my family."
Today, as the leader of He's Gynecology, she puts a lot of energy into cultivating successors. She has been busy teaching her nephew the family's TCM therapies and treatments since her own child is not interested in the medical field.
The He's also recruits apprentices outside the family and teaches them without any reservation. Fu Shiping, Hu Zhangru, Chen Yingyi and Zhang Qin, five famous doctors in Zhejiang Province, have all been trained at He's Gynecology.
He Jialin says a person's surname isn't as important as handing down medical skills to others. The clinic now has 19 TCM doctors and the youngest is in the 30s.
Except formal apprentices, there are numerous doctors from other provinces who are attracted by the family's reputation and travel annually to Hangzhou for training at the clinic.
Li Gaifei, a doctor from Henan Province, says people who study gynecology all know about He's Gynecology.
"I come to Hangzhou to learn the therapies here," Li says.
In modern times, TCM is no longer just about ancient methods and prescriptions. He's Gynecology is equipped with a lab, where doctors use sophisticated medical equipment when diagnosing patients.
He Jialin says she always keeps pace with Western medicine and uses the salutary experience of other countries to combine it with TCM.
He says she has noticed a change in the diseases they commonly treat.
Endometriosis and benign tumors in the uterus once made up about 70 percent of cases treated 20 years ago. Now these only account for 20 percent of cases, according to He.
"Today's young women stay up late often, which can lead to health problems," the doctor says. "Pollution and other living habits also have an influence on health. These changes make us constantly adjust the direction of TCM research."
The doctor says a fair number of patients come to the clinic these days because they want a baby and can't get pregnant.
A British-Chinese woman wanted to conceive after her only child died in a traffic accident. She was 51 and her ovaries were not working properly.
She learned about He's Gynecology and flew to Hangzhou to consult with doctors. After taking herbal medicine prescribed by He for three months she began ovulating again and got pregnant.
"She writes to me every Christmas and I visited her in the UK last year. Her child is healthy and vivacious," He says, smiling.
According to the doctor, about 30 percent of the clinic's patients come from other parts of China or other countries.
In another case, a Russian woman who married a Chinese sought medical advice from He's Gynecology. She also conceived after being treated by He.
The clinic first gained a good reputation due to the kindness of its founder, He Jiuxiang, who treated poor people for free.
He Zhixiang was the leader of the second generation to run the clinic. During this period, the Kuomintang government tried to ban TCM, but He Zhixiang kept the clinic going.
He Jialin's father, He Shaoshan, and uncle, He Zihuai, were third generation members of the family to run the clinic. He's Gynecology thrived under their leadership and academics soon recognized its status in the TCM circle.
The fourth generation of He family doctors include He Jiayan, He Jiazhen, He Jiagan and He Jialin. Other doctors in the family now practice TCM in other countries. He Jialang and He Jiaqi practice in Italy, while He Jiaying works in the United States.
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