AI used to enhance bespoke TCM treatments

A retired worker undergoes a health check at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic for occupational hazards in Tianjin in September last year. The clinic has adopted an artificial intelligence system that helps medical workers identify abnormalities and make diagnoses. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Digital technologies being integrated with ancient medicinal techniques

When the Tianjin 2026 Global Business Leaders Roundtable drew to a close in March, Hussain Dawood did not head for the exit. Instead, the prominent Pakistani industrialist and chairman of Engro Corporation waited behind at the venue, hoping to secure a private consultation with attending experts of traditional Chinese medicine.

His wife suffers from chronic high blood pressure and has undergone various treatments in Pakistan with limited effect. For Dawood, whose family has long trusted Eastern therapeutic philosophies, the trip to Tianjin presented a rare window to access personalized treatment from Da Ren Tang, a century-old Chinese pharmaceutical brand.

"TCM analyzes the root cause of a patient's condition to fundamentally resolve issues, unlike Western medicine or other therapies that merely focus on alleviating symptoms," Dawood said.

"The Western medical tradition is to prescribe the same medication for the same ailment, thus providing uniform treatment," he added.