Recently, a 23-year-old girl died after undergoing liposuction surgery performed by an unlicensed medical practitioner in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. The girl was on the road towards marrying her fiance in South Africa when she came back to Malaysia to get the surgery done.
It’s truly sad that she who only wanted to look her best at her wedding lost her life at such a young age and to an alleged practitioner who wasn’t even qualified to perform the procedure in the first place.
Hence, we at WORLD OF BUZZ spoke to Dr. Peter Ch’ng, the Chairperson of the Cosmetic Dermatology and Laser Medicine Board of Malaysia, on his opinion regarding the case and how Malaysians can determine if the beauty clinic they are visiting is legitimate.
Dr. Peter Ch’ng shared, “We are saddened to hear about the case. By right, it should not happen in Malaysia where we are well known in providing excellent healthcare services. But unfortunately, in this case, a non-medical practitioner was accused to have performed an invasive aesthetic medical procedures or surgeries.”
Unfortunately, there’s been several botched procedures by ‘beauticians’ in Malaysia
“As a Dermatologist, it is very common for us to see patients presenting with complications secondary to cosmetic procedures either done by beauticians or even doctors. Rarely do we come across death as a result of liposuction.
“Recently, there was also another patient who presented severe infection of both her lower limbs after liposuction. There were also cases of blindness and infection after filler injections or insertion of threads. I have also seen many cases of skin burns or scars after intense pulsed light or laser.”
Remember, only doctors with LCP are allowed to carry out aesthetic producers!
“There are no statistics in regards to unlicensed beauty clinics or beauty centres who are doing invasive aesthetic medical procedures but we know the numbers are high.
“By right, only doctors with a Letter of Credentialing and Privileging (LCP) are allowed to set up aesthetic clinics and carry out aesthetic procedures.
“They will need to go through written as well as viva exams before being conferred with the LCP. All aesthetic medical procedures requiring injections should only be performed in a licensed medical facility and not in a beauty centre or a person’s home.”
Dr. Peter Ch’ng who is also in the Main Credentialing and Privileging Committee board for LCP is tasked to assess the safety of doctors performing aesthetic procedure.
“There is also no statistic on numbers of patients with complications after cosmetic procedures. This is because patients are worried about the public’s perception of them doing cosmetic procedures and therefore do not want to blow up the issue. Some of the cases were also settled outside of court.
“Moreover for beauticians, there is no governing body to regulate them and anyone without proper licensing or training could possibly perform risky procedures. There is also lack of reporting by doctors because of worries of litigation.”
Don’t be tricked by a clinic. Here’s what you can do:
- Patients should do their homework before visiting a clinic
- Check on the doctor’s credentials
- Make sure you are seeing a medical doctor and not a PhD doctor!
“A good place to start will be referring to the Ministry of Health’s website.
“Take charge of your health and body. Learn about your condition, medicines and procedures suggested by your doctor. Don’t feel shy to walk away from the clinic to go home and survey more about your condition.”
After our chat with Dr. Ch’ng, it has become clear that there have been cases of botched cosmetic surgeries alongside the trend of unlicensed beauty clinics (something many wouldn’t even know existed), which is why it is important for you to ensure that the practitioner that you are seeing is a legitimate one, with all their necessary credentials.
Don’t fall prey to the pretty pictures you see on Instagram and Facebook advertised by these unethical unlicensed and unqualified beauty clinics and practitioners.
In the words of Dr. Ch’ng, take charge of your health and body. Because, the unlicensed clinics probably won’t.
What do you think about this? Let us know in the comment section.
Also read: Expert: Liposuction Should Be Done ONLY By Surgeons, Not Even General Practitioners
