Botox Safe In Hands Of Specialists, Says Deputy Minister

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 (Bernama) -- Botox, the anti-ageing agent banned by the National Fatwa Council, is safe for consumer use if administered by specialists.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abd. Latif Ahmad said consumers however should be wary of the side effects of the botox injections.
"However, the botox injections are not available at any hospital or clinic under the Ministry of Health," he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2007 in the Dewan Rakyat here.
Botox or Botulinum Toxin Type A is used to reduce facial wrinkles.
Abd Latif disclosed that the Medical Devices Act and the Cosmetics Act were at the final stages of drafting before being presented to the Attorney-General and the Cabinet for approval.
He also said that the rise in breast cancer cases could be due to the lifestyle of modern women who chose not to breastfeed their babies.
In this respect, the government had allocated RM500 million under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) to build a cancer institute next to the Putrajaya Hospital for cancer research, he added.
On the use of silicon for cosmetic purposes, he said the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) of the United States had determined that silicon implants were safe if handled by specialists.
"Government hospitals have conducted 50 plastic surgeries for reconstructive purposes but no cosmetic surgery has ever been done," he said.
The Deputy Minister said it was difficult to trace cases of cosmetic surgeries involving silicon implants as there had been no reports from consumers.
"Normally, those who have gone for silicon implants are shy to come forward especially when they have been scarred physically," he said.
Abd Latif said that other than the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL), there were seven other hospitals in the Klang Valley serving about three million people.
They are the Ampang Hospital, Sungai Buloh Hospital, Serdang Hospital, Selayang Hospital, Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, Kajang Hospital and Putrajaya Hospital.
He dismissed claims that the ministry had discriminated other races when recruiting nurses for government hospitals as it was done by the Public Service Commission (PSC).