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Recently, Ho Chi Minh City has seen a series of incidents, including deaths, resulting from cosmetic surgery performed at unlicensed beauty clinics. However, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health , management is facing many difficulties because the law lacks specific regulations regarding signage, which can easily lead to misunderstandings; meanwhile, the penalties are not strong enough to deter offenders.
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| One case of complications resulting from breast filler injections at an unlicensed facility. |
There are too many penalties to impose.
On June 28th, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health Inspectorate announced that it had received information about a death due to filler injection in the city. The patient, Ms. TTL (27 years old, residing in Ca Mau ), was in Ho Chi Minh City and staying at a hotel in District 10. On the morning of June 27th, Ms. L. received a breast augmentation filler injection at the hotel. After the injection, Ms. L. suffered complications and was rushed to Van Hanh General Hospital in a cyanotic state with dilated pupils, and subsequently died. The initial cause of death was determined to be anesthetic drug poisoning. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health Inspectorate has launched an investigation, sealed the medical records, and is coordinating with relevant authorities to clarify the cause of death.
Previously, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health also received a case of patient TTLP (50 years old) who suffered complications from eyelid surgery at a cosmetic surgery clinic in District 10.
In 2022, the Department of Health inspected 138 establishments and issued 144 administrative violation penalties totaling over 7.5 billion VND; and revoked operating licenses for a limited period for 12 establishments. In the first five months of the year, the department inspected 67 establishments, issued 77 penalty decisions totaling nearly 4.5 billion VND, revoked operating licenses for a limited period for 2 establishments, revoked professional practice certificates for a limited period for 5 individuals; suspended operations for 33 establishments, and ordered the removal, dismantling, or deletion of advertising content for 17 establishments.
However, an inspector from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health admitted that inspection and monitoring of cosmetic establishments are currently facing difficulties due to: individuals providing cosmetic services secretly at skin care facilities (spas), hair salons, hotels, and other accommodation establishments (apartments, condominiums, etc.). In addition, unlicensed medical facilities operate clandestinely and engage in tactics to evade state management agencies, such as changing signage, dissolving old facilities to establish new ones, and changing the name of the owner.
All kinds of violations
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, the main violations include: providing medical examination and treatment without a professional license; providing medical examination and treatment services without an operating license; providing medical examination and treatment services beyond the scope of expertise; using drugs, substances, and equipment to interfere with the human body (surgery, procedures, interventions involving injections, injections, radiation, waves, burning, or other invasive interventions) to alter skin color, shape, weight, or defects of body parts (skin, nose, eyes, lips, face, chest, abdomen, buttocks, and other body parts); tattooing, permanent makeup, and embroidery on the skin using injectable anesthetics at facilities that are not hospitals with cosmetic surgery departments or cosmetic surgery clinics or other medical examination and treatment facilities with a scope of professional practice in cosmetic surgery.
Dr. Ho Van Han, Chief Inspector of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, stated that many establishments are still advertising medical examination and treatment services without operating licenses; advertising special products, goods, and services without prior approval from competent state agencies as required by regulations; providing medical examination and treatment beyond the scope of professional activities specified in their practice certificates; providing cosmetic services at cosmetic service establishments without having submitted a notification confirming compliance with the conditions for providing cosmetic services to competent state agencies as required by law; and providing medical examination and treatment services while their operations are suspended.
“Currently, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has proposed to the Ministry of Health , the Ministry of Information and Communications, and other relevant ministries and agencies to strictly regulate and control advertising on social media because this is a channel that unlicensed, clandestine, and exploitative facilities often use to easily reach people. Along with that, the penalties should be increased to deter intentional violations of the law,” said Dr. Ho Van Han.
According to statistics from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, as of June 2023, there were 22 specialized cosmetic hospitals, 15 general hospitals with cosmetic departments/units (not including public hospitals with cosmetic departments/units), 5 multi-specialty clinics with cosmetic departments, 254 specialized cosmetic clinics, and 46 establishments providing cosmetic services such as tattooing, permanent makeup, and embroidery on the skin that had submitted notification of eligibility and were listed on the Department of Health's information portal. In addition, there were many other skin care, spa, hair salon, and nail salon establishments belonging to Group 1 licensed by the District People's Committee or the Department of Planning and Investment.
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