Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) had proved effective for preventing and curing A/H1N1 flu in clinical tests, Beijing health authorities said Wednesday.

After five months' scientific research, the effectiveness of TCM on A/H1N1 flu patients had been proved in clinical tests, said the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau.

The city has reserved 2 million TCM doses to fight against the flu.

"The Beijing municipal government has invested 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million) to test the effectiveness and safety of TCM to treat A/H1N1 flu since May," said Zhao Jing, head of Beijing Administration of TCM.

Zhao said as of September 1, 326 of 845 confirmed cases of A/H1N1 in Beijing had been cured with TCM treatments.

"It has proved very effective to use TCM and a combination of TCM and Western medicine to treat A/H1N1 flu patients," Zhao said.

Wang Yuguang, a senior expert with Beijing Ditan Hospital, which has been designated to treat A/H1N1 flu cases in the city, said all 184 patients who received TCM treatment at the hospital had been discharged after full recovery.

"Clinical tests have showed that TCM doses help reduce symptoms of fever, sore throat and cough," he said. "No side effects and adverse reactions have been reported."

(Xinhua News Agency September 17, 2009)