On the trail of quack cures

NST: The lure of a fast buck has turned a number of medical doctors into "aesthetic specialists", making tons of money in questionable practices.
They are dabbling in fields like cosmetic surgery, vitamin C therapy and Botulinum toxin (botox) treatment for wrinkles.
Their other "specialities" include:
• the use of laser equipment for which they are not trained;
• treating patients with herbal cures;
• cleansing the body of toxins using chelating agents; and,
• trying to cure ailments with body resonance using dubious electronic equipment.
While the treatment may not guarantee results, the doctors are guaranteed monthly incomes of RM30,000 to RM40,000 from their "specialities", which, in some instances, take a mere three days to master.
Some have downgraded the practice of conventional medicine, which yields between RM10,000 and RM15,000 a month, for their newfound specialities.
But their days of abandoning careers they took years to master may be over soon.
The Malaysian Medical Council is on their trail following public complaints of treatment that went wrong and promises not kept.
In some cases, patients were in worse condition after treatment, or developed new complaints.
MMC president Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said those involved in questionable practices had breached the law as they were registered only to practise evidence-based medicine.
"They have gone against the code of professional conduct, which is an offence under the law," he told the New Straits Times.
He said non-evidence-based practices meant treatment not yet sufficiently documented and replicated through scientifically sound research procedures.
Dr Ismail said MMC officials would be going undercover to investigate complaints against registered medical practitioners.
The director-general of Health said a doctor needed to undergo formal training recognised by the MMC or the Academy of Medicine to practise in a specialised field.
But he said there were doctors who attended short courses and claimed to be "aesthetic medicine specialists" or specialists in other fields.
He said non-evidence-based medicine was potentially harmful as patients were vulnerable to promises of new cures which might endanger their lives.
On Aug 14, the NST highlighted the issue of medical practitioners injecting patients with Vitamin C with the promise of a lighter complexion, anti-aging benefits and general good health.
Prices range from RM100 for a jab to RM2,700 for a series of seven "special" injections which include collagen and placental extracts.
The side-effects of the injections include localised inflammation of the veins, thinning of bones, kidney problems and allergic reactions.
While some side-effects may be temporary and not serious, others can kill.
Dr Ismail, who believed that Vitamin C administered intravenously was of no real benefit, believed women were being duped into parting with their money by baseless claims.
"The perception that Vitamin C helps overall wellness needs to be proved by facts."
Dr Ismail cited an incident last year when a 60-year-old man scheduled for a coronary bypass had opted for "chelation therapy" on the advice of friends, and subsequently died.
Dr Ismail said it was also a serious offence for a person to use the title "Dr" when practising traditional and complementary medicine such as homoeopathy or traditional Chinese, Malay or Indian medicine.
Dr Ismail advised the public to report cases of doctors practising non-evidence-based medicine by calling the MMC at 03-8883-1400.The lure of a fast buck has turned a number of medical doctors into "aesthetic specialists", making tons of money in questionable practices.
They are dabbling in fields like cosmetic surgery, vitamin C therapy and Botulinum toxin (botox) treatment for wrinkles.
Their other "specialities" include:
• the use of laser equipment for which they are not trained;
• treating patients with herbal cures;
• cleansing the body of toxins using chelating agents; and,
• trying to cure ailments with body resonance using dubious electronic equipment.
While the treatment may not guarantee results, the doctors are guaranteed monthly incomes of RM30,000 to RM40,000 from their "specialities", which, in some instances, take a mere three days to master.
Some have downgraded the practice of conventional medicine, which yields between RM10,000 and RM15,000 a month, for their newfound specialities.
But their days of abandoning careers they took years to master may be over soon.
The Malaysian Medical Council is on their trail following public complaints of treatment that went wrong and promises not kept.
In some cases, patients were in worse condition after treatment, or developed new complaints.
MMC president Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said those involved in questionable practices had breached the law as they were registered only to practise evidence-based medicine.
"They have gone against the code of professional conduct, which is an offence under the law," he told the New Straits Times.
He said non-evidence-based practices meant treatment not yet sufficiently documented and replicated through scientifically sound research procedures.
Dr Ismail said MMC officials would be going undercover to investigate complaints against registered medical practitioners.
The director-general of Health said a doctor needed to undergo formal training recognised by the MMC or the Academy of Medicine to practise in a specialised field.
But he said there were doctors who attended short courses and claimed to be "aesthetic medicine specialists" or specialists in other fields.
He said non-evidence-based medicine was potentially harmful as patients were vulnerable to promises of new cures which might endanger their lives.
On Aug 14, the NST highlighted the issue of medical practitioners injecting patients with Vitamin C with the promise of a lighter complexion, anti-aging benefits and general good health.
Prices range from RM100 for a jab to RM2,700 for a series of seven "special" injections which include collagen and placental extracts.
The side-effects of the injections include localised inflammation of the veins, thinning of bones, kidney problems and allergic reactions.
While some side-effects may be temporary and not serious, others can kill.
Dr Ismail, who believed that Vitamin C administered intravenously was of no real benefit, believed women were being duped into parting with their money by baseless claims.
"The perception that Vitamin C helps overall wellness needs to be proved by facts."
Dr Ismail cited an incident last year when a 60-year-old man scheduled for a coronary bypass had opted for "chelation therapy" on the advice of friends, and subsequently died.
Dr Ismail said it was also a serious offence for a person to use the title "Dr" when practising traditional and complementary medicine such as homoeopathy or traditional Chinese, Malay or Indian medicine.
Dr Ismail advised the public to report cases of doctors practising non-evidence-based medicine by calling the MMC at 03-8883-1400.