Zhang Boli: TCM Practitioner and Champion

IN his capacity as practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Zhang Boli, 73, has made a long career out of saving lives.

- DU CHAO

The most recent advocacy of Zhang’s chosen field of medicine was heard in the speech he made at an industry development conference on Chinese medicinal herbs produced in Zhejiang, held in the province’s Wuyi County. In his speech he said, “In developing TCM, we need to stick to its theoretical essences as well as absorb advanced technologies and methods from other disciplines.”

Proven Efficacy of TCM in Battling COVID-19

Zhang Boli’s skills as a TCM practitioner came to the fore in Wuhan in early 2020. When COVID-19 rendered the city the frontline of the battle against the virus, Zhang Boli’s life saving feats through TCM made him a household name there. He was among the first group of veteran medical experts to arrive at the then epicenter of the pandemic. After a brief but intensive study of the situation, Zhang suggested building a makeshift hospital exclusively for COVID-19 patients, whose treatment would mainly follow TCM protocols. The building, later named the Jiangxia Fangcang Makeshift Hospital was where on February 12, 2020, Zhang and the TCM team of more than 350 medical professionals he had brought together from provincial-level regions, including Tianjin, Jiangsu, Hunan, Shaanxi, and Henan, started treating COVID-19 patients.

Zhang and his 350-strong team of doctors and nurses cared of for patients, conducting procedures including tongue diagnosis, taking pulses, compiling prescriptions, touring wards, and convening conferences to devise treatment protocols. All this left him time with no more than two or three hours of sleep each day.