Traditional Tonic for Treatment

A pharmacist prepares a TCM prescription at the Sixth Hospital of Wuhan, Hubei province. [Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

In the battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak, traditional Chinese medicine has been playing an increasingly important role. The Sixth Hospital of Wuhan, Hubei province, was one of the first hospitals to use TCM to treat infected patients.

On Jan 12, the hospital mobilized a TCM department to prepare medicines to improve immunity and treat infections. The experts select different TCM prescriptions to treat patients depending on the severity of their condition. After the hospital was instructed on Jan 25 to only treat patients with fever, the department has produced 18 metric tons of TCM remedies.

Every day the staff members make thousands of servings of TCM "soup" that leaves behind 800 kilograms of residue from the herbs. China Daily photographer Wang Jing reports from Wuhan.

A patient picks up her TCM medicine at the hospital. [Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

Cai Zehao, a pharmacist with the hospital, makes TCM "soup". [Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

A TCM doctor waits for patients at the hospital's TCM department. [Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

Pharmacist Cai Zehao checks packages of the TCM "soup". [Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

A pharmacist makes up a prescription. [Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

Bags of herbs occupy most of space in the hospital's TCM dispensary. [Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

A worker checks a visitor's temperature at the entrance of the hospital's TCM department. [Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]