National Center for Complementary and Alternative and Medicine
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the body responsible for organizing the activities of alternative and complementary medicine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The NCCAM enacts laws and establishes the bases and legislations governing alternative medicine practices and documents and develops its scientific disciplines – especially with regard to Arab and Islamic medical science. The NCCAM was established pursuant to a decision of the Council of Ministers in 2008. The Center is a national reference for all activities pertaining to alternative and complementary medicine, operating from its headquarters in Riyadh. The NCCAM is directly linked to the Minister of Health. Alternative and complementary medicine is a term that refers to traditional medical practices. There are several designations for this branch of medicine, including authentic medicine, parallel medicine, natural medicine, comparative medicine, and traditional medicine.
NCCAM Responsibilities
The Centre undertakes a wide range of tasks and responsibilities, such as identifying the bases, criteria and controls for the exercise of complementary and alternative medicine, developing manuals and procedures, documenting the science, conducting scientific studies and research on this type of medicine, evaluating and supervising licensed activities, establishing and updating a database, and publishing scientific reports and holding scientific conferences and seminars within the Centre's scope of competence.
NCCAM Objectives
The NCCAM works to achieve a number of objectives, chiefly: providing alternative and complementary medical options alongside modern healthcare, raising the competence of cadres in the field of alternative and complementary medicine and ensuring the highest quality standards in this field, as well as spreading awareness and raising the level of culture in society.
NCCAM Licenses
The Center presents a host of licenses that allow health practitioners to conduct their therapeutic practices in alternative and complementary medicine branches, including acupuncture, orthopedics, chiropractic, natural healing, dry cupping and wet cupping. The NCCAM has several publications, including Prophetic Medicine, the Prophetic Medicine Encyclopedia, and Preventive Prophetic Medicine.
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Table of contents
Info Box
- Name
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
- Establishment date
- 2008.
- Headquarters
- Riyadh City.
- Affiliation
- Directly linked to the Minister of Health.
- Scope
- Identifying the bases, criteria and controls for the exercise of complementary and alternative medicine Developing manuals and procedures Documenting the science Conducting scientific studies and research on this type of medicine Evaluating and supervising licensed activities
Table of contents
Info Box
- Name
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
- Establishment date
- 2008.
- Headquarters
- Riyadh City.
- Affiliation
- Directly linked to the Minister of Health.
- Scope
- Identifying the bases, criteria and controls for the exercise of complementary and alternative medicine Developing manuals and procedures Documenting the science Conducting scientific studies and research on this type of medicine Evaluating and supervising licensed activities