Chua: Gullible women attracting the quacks

NST: PUTRAJAYA:Women are so gullible when it comes to cosmetic surgeries that some even have it done in hotels.
And this has attracted droves of foreign quacks.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said at least nine out of 10 botched jobs went unreported.
"I am really surprised that women are so gullible here. No wonder these quacks can survive in Malaysia," he said in response to the recent spate of media reports on botched work done by beauticians and people claiming to be aesthetic surgeons, mainly from Taiwan and China.
Yesterday, the New Straits Times highlighted a case where the work done by an unqualified person landed a 29-year-old housewife with breast cancer.
The woman, from Ulu Tiram, Johor, referred to as Tan, had gone to the so-called doctor, a foreigner, in December 2005 for breast enlargement.
She paid RM6,400 for a four-hour surgery in a hotel room in Johor.
Lumps appeared in her breasts six months later and she was in pain.
The woman consulted a doctor in Johor Baru last month and was diagnosed with cancer. The man who performed the surgery has disappeared.
Dr Chua said many women had undergone plastic surgeries under the hands of unqualified people and this was occurring very frequently.
And most of this is done by "fly-by-night" operators in an unsterilised setting.
"They must be aware that they cannot do an operation or surgery in a hotel. This is the 21st century and people should know that no surgery can be performed in a hotel room," Dr Chua said.
He advised people seeking such treatments to check with the Malaysian Medical Council if they had any doubts.