Clients at a Sydney cosmetic clinic are being warned they may have been potentially exposed to blood borne viruses including hepatitis and HIV, due to the actions of staff who were allegedly pretending to be registered medical practitioners.
The South Eastern Sydney Local Health District is urging anyone who had infusions, injections or underwent any invasive procedures at the Ketthip Clinic on Sussex Street to get tested.
It comes after the Health Care Complaints Commission searched the clinic and found evidence of highly concerning infection control practices.
The watchdog said it seized large quantities of medical equipment including scalpels, sutures, cannulas and other medical devices which were marked “for veterinary use only”.
Its investigators also found prescription and controlled medications that were expired or imported from overseas.
The Health Care Complaints Commission said the evidence suggests non-registered staff had been performing invasive cosmetic procedures including botox injections, dermal fillers and possibly even breast augmentation.
Its public warning states: “The hygiene and infection control practices of the Clinic are highly concerning and pose an immediate risk to the health and safety of the public.”
It said the evidence suggested staff at the clinic may have been seeking to mislead clients by pretending to be medical practitioners.
“Members of the public attending the Clinic believe that they are undergoing procedures performed by registered health practitioners when they are not,” it said.
“At least one person may have had an adverse reaction to the procedures being performed by the Clinic.”
The clinic has been contacted for comment.
Clients should get tested for HIV, hepatitis
The director of the health district’s public health unit Vicky Sheppeard said it was a worrying situation.
“It’s very concerning to find unregistered practitioners purporting to be doctors and also using these unregistered medications, that’s a great risk to clients and potentially severe complications can arise.”
Dr Sheppeard advised people to do their research before using cosmetic clinics.
“Any cosmetic clinic where anybody is going to be injecting or infusing anything into your body, you should ensure that the practitioner is a registered health practitioner, either a doctor a nurse.
“You can check the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) website, put in the name and location and if that person is registered in Australia that website will tell you that,” she said.
“If they’re not registered in Australia, it is risky to have any kind of procedure with them.”
Dr Sheppeard said affected clients should book an appointment with their GP to arrange testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
