Aesthetic Treatment Control Measures

22 Apr 2008

Question No:  574  

Question

Name of the Person: Mdm Ho Geok Choo

To ask the Minister for Health in light of the recent guidelines on aesthetic treatment, what control measures are being put in place to ensure that these treatments are not driven underground.

Reply

Reply From MOH

1 As I have explained earlier, aesthetic medicine covers a wide range of procedures.  My Ministry will regulate the high-risk procedures in the interest of patient safety.  Any operator who insists on providing such high-risk procedures illegally will be dealt with by the law.  Patients can also protect themselves by not seeking the services of such illegal operators.

2 As for the relatively low-risk procedures, we shall await the proposed guidelines being formulated by the professional bodies.  We are also studying the regulatory regimes in other countries to see how best to regulate this business.

3 By and large, we have competent and ethical doctors.  We will do our best to safeguard the high standard of our healthcare services. 

4 Consumers have to play their part too.  Do not be taken in by advertisements and where possible, try to get additional opinions from other qualified medical practitioners.