Since Vietnamese acupuncture was introduced to Mexico, it has quickly proved to be an effective method in curing a series of life-threatening diseases of the residents and has affirmed its position in the North America country and in the world’s medicine.

Over the past ten years, Vietnamese doctors gave medical treatment to about 200,000 Mexican patients, using special techniques of this traditional medicinal method.

In Mexico, the cost for healthcare services is rather high, about 300-370 USD for each medical check. The locals often pay about 225-275 USD for each medical treatment using Korean or Chinese acupuncture, whereas, it costs them only 25-50 USD using Vietnamese acupuncture.

Thanks to non-profit assistance and direct involvement of Vietnamese doctors under the cooperation agreement between the Labour Party of Mexico and Vietnam’s Central Acupuncture Hospital, older people in Mexico are even offered a discount and the poor are treated free of charge.

In 2000, during his visit to Vietnam, Senator Alberto Anaa Gutierrez, General Secretary of the Labour Party (PT) of Mexico, suggested Vietnam help and popularize acupunctural techniques in Mexico and in 2001 the first Vietnamese acupuncture centre, named after Vietnam’s late President Ho Chi Minh was set up in Monterrey City. Seeing the success of this acupuncture centre after one year of operation, the PT suggested Vietnam open a second acupuncture centre in the capital of Mexico in 2002 and then the third one in the Autonomous University of Zacatecas in 2003. A training programme at MA level in acupuncture was also organized in this University.

Doctor Ho Quang Minh, Director of acupuncture projects in Mexico said: “Vietnam’s Central Acupuncture Hospital has sent many outstanding acupuncturists who have at least five years experience to Mexico to instruct the local doctors on acupuncture techniques and directly give medical treatment to the locals.”

Under the cooperation agreement between the two countries, the Vietnamese doctors will have a one-year working term in Mexico, however, many of them volunteer to stay longer to help the locals. One of them is Doctor Phuong Lan who is working in the Ho Chi Minh Acupuncture Centre in Zacatecas. Lan said: “Living far from my homeland, I miss my family so much. However, when I cure patients of their diseases by acupuncture, I feel very happy and proud.”

With the assistance of Vietnam’s Central Acupuncture Hospital, three Vietnamese acupuncture centres in Mexico are operating effectively and contributing to increasing understanding about Vietnam’s people and country in the world and enriching cooperation between the PT and the Communist Party of Vietnam and the two peoples.

So far Vietnam’s Central Acupuncture Hospital has sent over 100 professors, PhDs and doctors to Mexico, who treated about 200,000 patients. The Vietnamese acupuncturists cured many patients of their life-threatening diseases, such as cerebrovascular accident, encephalitis, celebral palsy which received high praise from the local acupuncturist circle and the patients.

In mid 2011, the Acupuncture Centre in Zacatecas coordinated with the Autonomous University of Zacatecas to apply acupuncture to curing patients in the centre for supporting the disabled. At present, some states in Mexico hope to cooperate with Vietnam to establish new acupuncture centres.

Notably, Vietnam’s Central Acupuncture Hospital has coordinated with the University of Zacatecas to organize training a programme at MA level in acupuncture for Mexican doctors. It is the first time the Vietnamese acupuncture techniques was presented in the Ph.D training programme abroad and was officially given a code by the Ministry of Education and Training of Mexico. So far, 17 Mexican doctors successfully defended their PhD thesis on acupuncture after researching and studying in Vietnam’s Central Acupuncture Hospital.

Doctor Ho Quang Minh said that there are three universities of the PT which suggest organizing another training courses on acupuncture because the application of the Vietnamese acupuncture techniques to treating drug addiction and rehabilitating disabled children or serving the community draws much attention from countries in the Latin American region.

Associate Prof, Doctor Nghiem Huu Thanh, Director of Vietnam’s Central Acupuncture Hospital said: “In the future, the hospital will sign a bilateral cooperation agreement with Mexico to continue maintaining activities of the current acupuncture centres and research to open more acupuncture training and treatment centres for drug detoxification and disabled children rehabilitation.

VNP/VNN