Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine is part of the University of Malta, on the Msida campus close to Valletta. The university runs a public clinic in this field, which gives patients access to practitioners from China as well as to a teaching environment. The centre is listed in our directory of acupuncture in Malta.

The university itself traces its roots to the Collegium Melitense of 1592 and is the leading higher education institution on the island, teaching in English. If you are weighing up life on the islands, our Malta relocation guide and the wider about Malta overview give context.

The clinic and who staffs it

Professionals from the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine provide the clinical service to the general public. The university sets up the clinic alongside its academic programme, and the doctors are sent to Malta specifically to work at the centre. The same facilities act as a clinical base for the postgraduate course taught there.

The clinic is furnished in a modern style and equipped to the requirements set by the Malta Department of Health, with comfort, efficiency and safety in mind. Treatment options include dietary advice, herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion and cupping, and the doctors can explain each approach during the consultation before any treatment begins.

Treatments explained

Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, is a broad set of methods developed in China over about 2,000 years, including herbs, acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, exercise and dietary change. Its traditional aim is to restore balance in the body, and diagnosis looks at patterns such as the pulse, the tongue, the skin and the eyes, along with eating and sleeping habits.

Acupuncture involves placing needles at specific points on the body. Moxibustion adds the burning of mugwort on or near the skin at an acupuncture point, and electro-acupuncture applies a small electric current to the needles. Cupping places warmed glass cups on the skin so that suction holds them in place, and the cups can be moved over the back with massage oil. Dietary regimens cover balanced eating.

The centre lists pain, respiratory, bowel and gynaecological concerns, weight control and smoking cessation among the areas in which it works. This page does not offer medical advice, so ask the clinic whether it can help with your own situation, and speak to your doctor first.

Visiting and booking

A detailed first consultation lets you discuss treatment options, and a nominal fee applies. Appointments are made after a formal referral from a medical practitioner, so bring or arrange that referral before you travel. The clinic is at the Old Main Entrance of the campus, opposite the University Chapel, and a campus map is available from the university. The clinic shares the campus with a large university community, so allow some time to find your way on your first visit.

Because the clinic is part of a teaching centre, the same facilities support students on the postgraduate course. Patients should ask the clinic how that affects appointments and who will be treating them.

Around Msida

Msida is close to Gżira, Sliema and Valletta, so you can combine a visit with sightseeing. See our Valletta guide, things to do in Malta and Knights of Malta guide, or book a day out with A4 Malta DMC. If you are staying longer, AM Language offers language tuition nearby, and flights to Malta explains how to get here from the UK. Msida is a busy town with plenty of everyday services, so it is easy to fit an appointment into a wider trip, and you can always send a question through our form beforehand.

To ask the centre a question, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the business.