MEDICAL certificates (MCs) issued by Chinese sinsehs are slowly gaining acceptance among private-sector companies here, but they are still a no-go for the country's biggest employer, the Government, despite tighter regulation of the industry.

The Public Service Division (PSD), which oversees hiring for the 60,000-strong civil service, confirmed that despite the growing popularity of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it does not recognise MCs issued by TCM practitioners.

The division's director of personnel Bernadette Sim explained that this was because the Health Ministry's requirement that Chinese sinsehs be registered and go through standardised training was mandated only recently.

She said, however, that the PSD will continue to review its policy on MCs from sinsehs.The 2,234 registered TCM practitioners here tend to about 12 per cent of all outpatient cases.

The Employment Act gives employers the discretion to decide if sinseh-issued MCs provide a legitimate reason for sick leave.

A check with 25 private companies turned up just nine that accept such MCs.

These nine, including Standard Chartered Bank, Great Eastern Assurance and retailer CK Tang, said that they were happy to have their staff follow their doctors' orders regardless of whether the doctor practised TCM or not.

Standard Chartered's head of human resources D.M. Arulraj said that the bank had begun accepting sinsehs' MCs in August 2006 to give its more than 2,000 staff members here a choice of medical treatment.

The bank believed in providing 'a flexible and supportive working environment', he said.

Great Eastern Life Assurance started accepting sinsehs' MCs from its 800 staff members in that year as well.

Retailer CK Tang, however, was selective about where MCs come from. It explicitly stated that only MCs from the Eu Yan Sang, Raffles Medical Group Chinese Medicine, Ma Kwang and Chung Hwa clinics will be accepted.

Although the shift in mindset is encouraging to TCM practitioners, they are disappointed that change is not unfolding as quickly as they wish.

As a result, many of their patients seek their care for some ailments but ditch them in favour of general practitioners for other problems, especially when a general practitioner's MC is needed.

Ms Teo Yee Cheng, who has been a TCM practitioner for 27 years, said that one in four of her patients stops by a GP's clinic before going to her.

Mr Koh Hee Seng, 50, who owns a TCM clinic in Chai Chee, said that three in 10 of his patients admit to visiting Western doctors for ailments such as the flu and fever.

They go to him for long term problems only, such as backaches.

The problem, said Mr Tan Pit Lian, who is the president of the Singapore Chinese Physicians' Association, is with employers' perceptions of TCM.

It does not help that the public sector does 'not recognise the judgment of the physicians that they certify', he said.

He concluded: 'Some people are not aware that TCM practitioners must undergo training and sit for stringent exams...They still think Chinese doctors are quacks.'

RIGOROUS STANDARDS FOR TCM

'Some people are not aware that TCM practitioners must undergo training and sit for stringent exams.'

MR TAN PIT LIAN, the president of the Singapore Chinese Physicians' Association