Atheist hospitals in China

China has the largest atheist population in the world.[1]

China, which has state atheism, has the largest atheist population in the world and a significant percentage of its citizens are atheists (see: China and atheism). In addition, most atheists in the world are likely East Asians (see: Asian atheism).

Healthcare in China is made up of public and private medical institutions.

China's hospital system and general health care system overall is currently experiencing a crisis as evidenced by the New York Times article China’s Health Care Crisis: Lines Before Dawn, Violence and ‘No Trust’ (See also: Atheist hospitals).[2]

The New York Times article China’s Health Care Crisis: Lines Before Dawn, Violence and ‘No Trust’ declares:

“  |  Well before dawn, nearly a hundred people stood in line outside one of the capital’s top hospitals.

They were hoping to get an appointment with a specialist, a chance for access to the best health care in the country. Scalpers hawked medical visits for a fee, ignoring repeated crackdowns by the government.

A Beijing resident in line was trying to get his father in to see a neurologist. A senior lawmaker from Liaoning, a northeastern province, needed a second opinion on her daughter’s blood disorder.

Mao Ning, who was helping her friend get an appointment with a dermatologist, arrived at 4 a.m. She was in the middle of the line.

“There’s no choice — everyone comes to Beijing,” Ms. Mao, 40, said. “I think this is an unscientific approach and is not in keeping with our national conditions. We shouldn’t have people do this, right? There should be a reasonable system.”

The long lines, a standard feature of hospital visits in China, are a symptom of a health care system in crisis....

The country does not have a functioning primary care system, the first line of defense for illness and injury. China has one general practitioner for every 6,666 people, compared with the international standard of one for every 1,500 to 2,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. [3]

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## Traditional Chinese medicine hospitals[edit]

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a type of traditional medicine based on 2,500+ years of Chinese medical practices which includes various types of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, exercise, and dietary therapy, but recently has also incorporated modern Western medicine. The efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine is poorly researched and supported.[4]

According to the abstract of the medical journal article An investigation Into Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospitals in China: Development Trend and Medical Service Innovation published in the medical journal International Journal of Health Policy and Management:

“  |  Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a sector composed of TCM service (by TCM doctors) and TCM products (including Chinese patent medicine, Chinese herbal piece, and Chinese herb). TCM hospitals are medical institutions that treat the patients with TCM service and products to maintain public health.1 Before the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, there were no established TCM hospitals, but only private pharmacies operated by TCM doctors. To protect TCM as a national treasure of China and provide affordable medical services, the central government initiated a TCM hospital system since 1954. Since then, TCM hospitals in China have remained committed to not only medical care but also the social and historic cause of reviving TCM as an important part of Chinese cultural heritage.[5] |  ”

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The Chinese government's National People’s Congress Standing Committee regulates TCM.[6]

The atheist, communist dictator Mao Zedong revived and heavily promoted Traditional Chinese medicine in China. He didn't believe in it himself, but pushed it as a cheap alternative to real medicine.[7]

Steven Salzberg wrote in Forbes magazine concerning TCM:

“  |  The Nature writer, David Cyranoski, presents this news in a classic two-sides-of-the-story format, describing the "endless hours" that TCM proponents spent on such important topics as the "correct location of acupuncture points and less commonly known concepts such as ‘triple energizer meridian’ syndrome." Later in the article (but much later), he points out that scientists have argued that qi and meridians simply don't exist.

Were you thinking this was about health care? Afraid not. Cyranoski goes on to point out some serious problems with TCM, for example:

"Critics view TCM practices as unscientific, unsupported by clinical trials, and sometimes dangerous: China’s drug regulator gets more than 230,000 reports of adverse effects from TCM each year."

Actually, it's much worse than this. Here's what TCM really looks like: the horrific slaughter of the last remaining rhinoceroses in Africa in order to hack off their horns, which are sold to become part of elixirs that some people mistakenly think confer strength, virility, or other health benefits. Last year, National Geographic ran a heart-wrenching photo essay showing some of the awful results of rhinoceros poaching in Africa; take a look at these photos here.

TCM also looks like this: black bears kept in grotesquely cruel "farms" with a permanent tube inserted into their abdomens so that their bile can be harvested. Despite a growing movement to end this inhumane practice (see this NY Times story), it persists today, with thousands of bears kept in cages so small they can barely move. No one can view photos such as these and say that TCM is a good thing...

Well put. On the other hand, Cyranoski does point out that the major motivation for TCM is money:

"[China] has been aggressively promoting TCM on the international stage both for expanding its global influence and for a share of the estimated US$50-billion global market."...

As the Nature article points out, TCM has been a scam for decades: it was revived and heavily promoted in China by former dictator Mao Zedong, who didn't believe in it himself, but pushed it as a cheap alternative to real medicine.[8]

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## See also[edit]

* Atheism and health
* Atheism and medicine

## References[edit]

1. ↑
* Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics (Zuckerman, 2005)
* A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live, Washington Post By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey May 23, 2013
2. ↑ China’s Health Care Crisis: Lines Before Dawn, Violence and ‘No Trust’ By Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, Sept. 30, 2018
3. ↑ China’s Health Care Crisis: Lines Before Dawn, Violence and ‘No Trust’ By Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, Sept. 30, 2018
4. ↑ Shang, A.; Huwiler, K.; Nartey, L.; Jüni, P.; Egger, M. (2007). "Placebo-controlled trials of Chinese herbal medicine and conventional medicine comparative study". International Journal of Epidemiology. 36 (5): 1086–92. doi:10.1093/ije/dym119. PMID 17602184.
5. ↑ [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5193503/ An investigation Into Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospitals in China: Development Trend and Medical Service Innovation by Liang Wang, Sizhuo Suo, Jian Li, Yuanjia Hu, Peng Li, Yitao Wang, and Hao Hu, International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2017 Jan; 6(1): 19–25. Published online 2016 Jun 7. doi: 10.15171/ijhpm.2016.72
6. ↑ China passes first law on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). WebMD China (December 28, 2016).
7. ↑ WHO Endorses Traditional Chinese Medicine. Expect Deaths To Rise by Steven Salzberg, Forbes magazine
8. ↑ WHO Endorses Traditional Chinese Medicine. Expect Deaths To Rise by Steven Salzberg, Forbes magazine