Hong Kong skin clinic ordered to stop offering treatments after violations found

A Hong Kong clinic offering skin-related treatments has been temporarily banned by health authorities from providing surgical and anaesthetic procedures after being found to have violated many rules.

The Department of Health on Wednesday suspended the day procedure centre licence of Dr MD Clinic and Ambulatory Centre, which was involved in improper handling of an anaesthetic drug, inappropriate sterilisation of equipment, and providing false records related to checking and monitoring medical equipment.

The immediate suspension meant the facility in Causeway Bay would no longer be able to provide surgical and anaesthetic procedures. The department said it was also initiating the process of a fully cancelling the clinic’s licence.

The department’s investigation into the clinic, located in the World Trade Centre, was launched after authorities received a complaint about a suspected mishandling of medical equipment.

“During the inspections, the [clinic] was found to have contravened the Code of Practice for Day Procedure Centres under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance,” a spokesman for the department said.

The spokesman said the clinic’s problems included “improper handling and management of an anaesthetic drug, failure to properly sterilise medical equipment, and inadequate staff training and supervision”.

The clinic was also suspected to have filled in false information in the checking and monitoring of records, including those related to medical equipment.