The Health Ministry has asked provincial and municipal authorities to carry out extensive inspections of beauty parlours and clinics across the country.
The Health Ministry has asked provincial and municipal authorities to carry out extensive inspections of beauty parlours and clinics across the country.
The official document, signed by Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen on Thursday, asks health departments in provinces and cities to check clinics and parlours specialising in cosmetic treatments including plastic surgery for compliance with regulations on medical examination and treatment.
Provincial health departments have also been required to inspect the professional competency of staff at the clinics and parlours, their awareness of patients' and surgeons' rights and obligations, and licenses for providing cosmetic surgegy.
The departments have to strictly punish illegal (unlicensed) clinics and parlours as well as exaggerated claims made in advertisements.
In related news, inspectors with the HCM City Health Department have discovered several violations in advertising and other forms of publicity mongering at many cosmetic surgery clinics and hospitals in the city.
After inspecting 15 such facilities between September 23 and October 11, the department found six of them making false claims about cosmetic treatments they offer; as also not letting prospective clients know the fees charged for such treatments.
The violating establishments were asked to pay fines worth VND52.7 million (US$2,509).
The inspectors also sent a directive asking around 80 facilities offering cosmetic surgeries to take corrective action and refrain from misleading the public.
They also asked the HCM City People's Committee to consider requiring district authorities to strengthen monitoring of cosmetic surgery clinics and hospitals in their locality in order to find out those operating illegally.
The department said it will soon open a training course for owners and managers of establishments offering cosmetic surgery and related services that will acquaint them better with relevant regulations.
The latest inspections followed the shocking news of a surgeon admitting to dumping the body of a patient, who died on the operating table in his clinic after a botched breast operation, into the Red River in Ha Noi last Saturday.
The 40-year-old surgeon, Nguyen Manh Tuong, was suspended from his job at the Bach Mai Hospital after being arrested on Tuesday.
The body of Le Thi Thanh Huyen - the patient whose body was allegedly thrown into the Red River, is yet to be found.
(Source: VNS)
