DEATH BRINGS CLAMP ON BEAUTY BUSINESS

Friday, October 12, 2012

Beauty centers and staff conducting high-risk medical treatments will be regulated to prevent a recurrence of a blood transfusion after which a customer died, the health minister announced.Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing- man also said the government will clamp down hard on misleading medical claims and unlicensed doctors who carry out such treatments while a yearlong review is being conducted. Restaurant boss Chan Yuen-lam, 46, died on Wednesday after suffering septic shock hours after receiving a processed blood injection - costing some HK$50,000 - at a DR beauty center last week. Three other women were stricken after similar treatment. One remained critical last night while the the others were described as serious and stable. A superbug associated with tuberculosis, Mycobacterium abscessus, has been implicated. Ko said yesterday he will chair a 20-member steering committee to review two decades-old laws "to strengthen the regulatory controls of private health-care facilities, including high-risk medical treatments, in order to safeguard public safety." It will aim to put "any premises which conduct high-risk medical treatments or procedures under regulatory control." Laboratories will also be covered. Ko said the review will try to meet community calls for tighter regulations on the beauty industry and provide

"clear definitions to differentiate beauty therapies from medical treatment."

Currently private health-care facilities are required to register with the Department of Health under the Hospital, Nursing Homes and Maternity Homes Registration Ordinance and the Medical Clinics Ordinance. But the two laws were enacted in 1936 and 1963 respectively, and no major revision has been introduced to them since 1966. Director of Health Constance Chan Hon-yee said upon completion of the police and departmental investigation, the case will be referred to the Medical Council for possible disciplinary action against doctors involved. Chan also said her department, the Consumer Council and the Customs and Excise Department will examine how to strengthen guidelines. We will also enhance consumer education on how to select safe services and our screening of advertisements for any improper claims." The steering committee, which will meet by the end of the month at the earliest, comprises 16 non- official members, including 12 doctors, nursing and dental professors. the only non-health-care professionals are public relations executive Jasminia Kristine Cheung, Consumer Council chief executive Connie Lau Yin- hing, garment and manufacturing and trading company partner Andy Lau Yin-hing and former president of the Hong Kong Federation of Women Lawyer Sandy Wong Hang-yee. Health-care professionals include Anthony Lee Kai-yiu, Sigmund Leung Sai-man, Susie Lum Shun- sui, Tse Hunghing, Homer Tso Wei-kwok and Yeung Chiu-fat. Professors include Fok Tai-fai.

background
E.g Restaurant boss Chan Yuen-lam, 46, died on Wednesday after suffering septic shock hours after receiving a processed blood injection - costing some HK$50,000 - at a DR beauty center last week. superbug high-risk medical treatments misleading medical claims unlicensed doctors

summary
20-member steering committee clear definitions to differentiate beauty therapies from medical treatment. enhance consumer education

Cause
The definition of Medical Cosmetology is confusing Lack of monitoring Process Bacterial contamination -Antibiotic