Amendments in the works to curb illegal medical practices — Health Ministry

AMMAN — A specialised committee is working on outlining a set of legal amendments to regulate medical practices and curb the illegal performance of cosmetic procedures performed by unlicensed individuals, according to the Health Ministry. 

The committee includes representatives from the ministry, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Jordan Medical Association (JMA), the Jordanian Society for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (JSPRS) and the Jordanian Society of Dermatology and Venereology. 

Director of the Licensing of Health Professions and Institutions Directorate at the Ministry of Health Amin Al Maaytah said that the amendments mainly aim to regulate physicians’ specialty-based scopes of practice, which include the range of tasks and decisions that a qualified, licensed healthcare professional is legally authorised to perform. 

“The goal is to control what physicians can and can’t do, depending on the type of training they received to ensure that the highest quality of healthcare is provided to the public,” he told The Jordan Times. 

The amendments are also concerned with regulations related to the practice of cosmetic medicine, according to Maaytah. 

The aforementioned committee is working on addressing illegal surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures, performed either by general physicians or beauticians at unlicensed clinics and beauty centres, he said. 

Head of the JSPRS Omar Al Shobaki noted that the association has received hundreds of complaints from individuals who underwent cosmetic procedures performed by unlicensed individuals in the past two years. 

“Undergoing a cosmetic procedure performed by anyone other than a board-certified medical specialist is extremely risky,” he told The Jordan Times. 

Such a step increases the chance of experiencing poor results and post-operative complications such as infections, scaring, deformities and even death, he added. 

Cosmetic surgeries, such as breast enlargement, liposuction and arm lifts, are to be performed only by specialised surgeons inside hospitals with the proper equipment and staff in order to ensure that patients have access to emergency care if needed, he continued.

Minor non-surgical procedures that only require topical anaesthesia, such as botox and dermal fillers, can only be done by a cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist in a licensed and equipped beauty centre or clinic, as “they contain medical substances that should be administered with care”, according to Shobaki. 

“Resorting to a specialist ensures the best possible results and the lowest risk of complications. It also saves the patient from the added financial burden of dealing with surgical complications and the psychological distress resulting from possible deformities,” he said. 

Shobaki also noted that it’s important for citizens to take heed of and report misleading advertisements on social media platforms. 

“Before taking the decision to undergo any form of procedure, do double check the legitimacy of the advertising entity by reaching out to the Ministry of Health or the JMA to ensure that it’s licensed and has specialised medical professionals,” he said. 

According to Shobaki, the Ministry of Health is also working on a plan, in cooperation with the FDA and the JMA, to open a national training centre that offers courses and diploma programmes in cosmetic medicine.

The centre will also have a regulatory and supervisory role over the importation of medical substances and equipment to ensure that they are up to standards, he said. 

Maaytah stressed the ministry’s commitment to its supervisory role over beauty centres and clinics through investigating complaints, monitoring advertisements and conducting periodic visits to ensure that these facilities are licensed and operated by trained technicians and medical professionals.

He noted that complaints can be submitted in person at the ministry’s Directorate of Internal Auditing and Control by contacting the hotline number 065004545, or by sending an e-mail to complaints@moh.gov.jo. 

The ministry also has health directorates with regulatory and licensing powers distributed across all governorates to receive, follow up on and investigate complaints, which are then referred to the ministry so it can take the necessary legal procedures, he added. 

In 2022, the Health Ministry received 1,355 complaints, 120 of which are concerned with medical errors and bills, according to Maaytah. 

He noted that repeat violations of legal regulations at beauty centres or clinics risks their permanent closure and the revocation of their license.