Hong Kong officials bowed to pressure from beauty industry and watered down regulation plans, lawmakers say
Legislators slam revisions to bill proposal and call for stricter rules initially suggested over use of medical devices in cosmetic procedures
Government officials bowed to pressure from the beauty industry and watered down a proposal to protect customers from salons hawking risky treatments using medical devices, according to lawmakers.
Civic Party legislator Dr Kwok Ka-ki was among those chastising authorities and calling on the Food and Health Bureau to revert to its original proposal circulated in January 2017, after it issued a revised version last week.
“You are backing down completely,” he told undersecretary for food and health Dr Chui Tak-yi on Monday during a meeting of the Legislative Council’s health services panel.
The changes included the removal of recommendations to restrict the use of high-risk medical devices, including those used for laser surgery, focused ultrasound and intense pulsed light therapies.
There are currently no rules on the use of medical devices – which include a wide range of items from hot and cold packs to breast implants.
Manufacturers and importers can voluntarily inform the Department of Health of the types of items brought into the city, and report any adverse incidents.
