Romana Zerolova lives in France. It was in this country where she was also treated for a serious illness –  S.A.P.H.O. syndrome – a type of bone cancer. S.A.P.H.O. syndrome is a rare genetic degenerative disease of inflammatory character, by classical medicine defined as incurable. It ends in paralysis, eventually by suffocation due to adhesions between ribcage, spine and breastbone  (syndesis of breastbone). Thanks to this diagnosis and other associated problems she qualified for partial disability pension and had to take opium derivates in the strongest allowed version. In 2013 she started practicing Zhong Yuan Qigong (ZYQ), today she is considered, from the point of view of classical medicine, healthy .

Her story is deeply humane and incredibly inspiring and also shows that it is possible to cure oneself by own efforts, even when suffering from serious problems.

Patrik Zingor is performing massages for 15 years. He is currently working at Terra Medica clinic in Bratislava. He was originally doing reflex therapy. Later, after completing the Zhong Yuan Qigong (ZYQ) 1st level seminar which changed his perspective on life and self, he studied Chinese Tuina massage. As his personal practice became deeper, by completing further ZYQ seminars as well as Image Medicine, and by practicing regularly, his work as a masseur and the way he is conducting the massages changed in an interesting manner.

Dr. Dong Zhi Lin is a Director of Chinese Medical Centre  – CMC Tasly Group BV – the largest TCM center in Europe, encompassing TCM medical treatment, education, and trading with modern scientific techniques. The centre is providing services for 28 years. It is located in the center of Amsterdam.

He is also a Vice President of World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS),  President of Special Committee  of Trade Services for WFCMS, President of Pan European Federation of TCM Societies (PEFOTS) and President of Association of TCM in the Netherlands.

The topic of his presentation on our conference will be  TCM Education in Europe.

Darina Sedlakova, MD, MPH, Head of World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in the Slovak Republic accepted our invitation and will address conference participants during the opening ceremony. 

WHO considers Traditional Medicine to be an important tool of health maintenance. Since 2002 it prepares, renews and gradually implements the Strategy for Traditional Medicine. The goal of this strategy is to raise awareness about the potential contribution of TM to health, wellness and people-centred health care. At the same time it is promoting the safe and effective use of TM by regulating, researching and integrating TM products, practitioners and practice into health systems, where appropriate.

For the purposes of the WHO, Traditional Medicine is defined as follows: Traditional Medicine has a long history. It is the sum total of the knowledge, skill, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.