Raids on three unlicensed cosmetic and medical clinics turn up unqualified people providing treatments
CHON BURI: Three unqualified people have been arrested and charged following police raids on three unregistered cosmetic and medical clinics in Muang and Si Racha districts.
A combined team of officers from the police Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) and Chon Buri health officials raided the three clinics after receiving information that unqualified people had performed cosmetic and medical treatments, Pol Maj Gen Anan Nanasombat, the CPPD commander, said on Saturday.
At the first clinic, located inside the Laem Thong Bang Saen shopping mall in tambon Saen Suk of Muang district, police found a woman giving vitamin and dermal injections to a client. She had no medical practitioner’s licence.
The clinic was also found to be operating without a permit, said Pol Maj Gen Anan.
The woman, identified as Rinyaphat Saensupha, 35, told officers she had taken a nursing assistant course but had no permanent job. She had been hired to provide beauty treatments at several clinics before getting a job at this clinic, where she had worked for about one year.
She was charged with providing treatment without a practitioner’s licence, selling medicines without permission and selling unregistered medical products. Seized from the clinic were 16 items of unregistered medical products and equipment.
At the second clinic, located in Bang Saen, the team also found a woman giving vitamin and dermal injections to a client. The woman, identified later as Thaphanee Phadkaew, 40, had no practitioner’s licence. The clinic was also unlicensed.
Ms Thaphanee told the officers that she had completed non-formal education to Mathayom Suksa 6 (Grade 12) but had neither experience nor knowledge in medical practices. She had worked at the clinic for about two months.
She faced the same charges as the woman arrested earlier. Seized from the clinic were 70 items of unlicensed medical products and equipment.
At the third clinic, in tambon Bueng of Si Racha district, officers found Arthit Wongsamut, 45, claiming to be a doctor. He had no medical licence.
During questioning, he confessed that he had only a Mathayom Suksa 3 (Grade 9) education. The clinic was owned by his wife.
As he had some knowledge about medical treatments and the cost of hiring a doctor was expensive, he decided to perform medical treatments to save costs. The clinic had no operating licence. Authorities seized medical products and other items and charged him with providing treatment without a practitioner’s licence, selling medicines without permission and selling unregistered medical products.
A police officer puts medical products and other items seized from a cosmetic clinic into plastic bags during a raid in Chon Buri. (Police photo)