by Zhang Yisheng, Nurul Fitri Ramadhani
JAKARTA, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- For three grueling months, even simple movements brought pain to Dr. Hetty Helen's hand. As a physician at Indonesia's Rumah Sakit Pusat Pertahanan Negara (RSPPN) Soedirman, her relief finally came from an unexpected source: the hands of a Chinese traditional medicine practitioner.
"The hand feels lighter and better," Helen said, visibly relieved. Having tried acupuncture before, she noted the technique used by the Chinese medical team was noticeably more precise, targeting the exact source of her pain.
Helen's experience underscores the unique value of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the vital role of medical exchanges in enhancing Indonesia's healthcare capabilities.
Under the "Belt and Road Acupuncture Station" initiative launched at RSPPN Soedirman, Chinese specialists worked shoulder-to-shoulder with Indonesian medical staff from Oct. 13 to 15. The program featured clinical training, free community consultations, and practical workshops on cutting-edge, AI-assisted TCM diagnostics.
Organized by the Shenzhen Shouzheng Innovative TCM Development Foundation, the training went beyond theory, guiding participants through needle safety, emergency protocols, and precise acupoint location. Doctors and students rolled up their sleeves to practice targeted techniques for shoulder and knee conditions, as well as specialized scalp and abdominal acupuncture.
For the Indonesian medical trainees, the program bridged the gap between textbooks and clinical reality, giving them rare, hands-on confidence under expert mentorship.
Natalia Santoso, a student of acupuncture and herbal medicine in Jakarta, felt a lightbulb moment during the workshops. She said learning directly from Chinese masters helped deconstruct techniques that had long puzzled her.
"Learning TCM, which we thought was difficult, turns out not to be so difficult once you understand the key points or acupuncture points," she said.
Santoso added that hearing the concepts explained straight from native Mandarin speakers gave her a far richer insight than reading translated Indonesian textbooks.
Beyond traditional techniques, the program introduced participants to AI-powered TCM diagnostic tools, offering them a firsthand look at the future of digital healthcare.
Hetty Helen Yanti, head of the hospital's TCM department, noted that such cross-border collaborations allow local doctors to refine their skill sets, particularly in mastering high-precision acupoint targeting.
Hafna Rosita of Indonesia's Traditional Health Council viewed the exchange as a dual opportunity: upgrading local practitioner skills while fueling the development of Indonesia's homegrown traditional medicine.
"TCM has advanced considerably, with extensive documentation, analysis and research," Rosita said, pointing out that Indonesia's traditional medicine similarly holds vast untapped potential.
The two systems could complement each other, for instance, by integrating precision acupuncture techniques with rich Indonesian herbal remedies, Rosita said.
Dr. David Song, a physician at the hospital's Traditional Indonesian and Chinese Medicine (TICM) division, emphasized that the initiative ultimately aims to fuse local Indonesian remedies with time-tested Chinese practices.
Through the TICM division at RSPPN Soedirman, "we are seeking to integrate Indonesia's local herbal remedies, known as jamu, with thousands of years of TCM wisdom to better serve our community's healthcare needs," Song said.
Looking ahead, Song said he believes partnership with Chinese institutions will drive deeper exchanges in medical technology, research, and clinical training.
Chen Zhigeng, director of the medical department at Wenzhi Traditional Chinese Medicine, a TCM-focused AI digital healthcare company, said the program's outcomes far exceeded expectations, voicing strong hopes for sustained partnership.
The event serves as a bridge for both medical and cultural exchange, enabling the Chinese side and its Indonesian counterpart to learn from one another and deepen long-term cooperation in traditional healthcare, he said. ■
