Regulation of medical devices delayed
Plans to regulate the use of medical instruments have been delayed, prompting anger from lawmakers.
Plans to regulate the use of medical instruments have been delayed, prompting anger from lawmakers.
The Food and Health Bureau wants to introduce a registration system to cover instruments, traders and assessment bodies, as well as an appeal board to monitor advertisements and keep track of after-sales safety.
But its plans have been held up by delays to a government study into whether devices commonly used in the beauty industry, such as high-powered medical lasers, should be used only by registered medical practitioners.
The study, which was prompted by the death of a woman following blood-transfusion "therapy" at a beauty clinic in 2012, had been due for completion this year, but will now not be finished until next year.
Medical sector lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki told a health panel meeting of the Legislative Council yesterday that the delay was "unacceptable".
"We are just talking about regulating medical devices, and regulating the users still has a long way to go," Kwok said.
Other lawmakers agreed, warning that the slow progress would prevent customers from benefiting from the regulations as soon as possible.
Sophia Chan Siu-chee, undersecretary for food and health, said the legislative process would start as soon as the study was completed.
