By AKIN ADEWAKUN, Lagos
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), on Wednesday, sealed off a cosmetic surgery clinic, Med Contour Cosmetic, located on Lekki Phase One, Lagos, on the suspicion that the clinic was engaging in cosmetic medical procedures that seem not to comply with applicable standards of care.
decision to close down the clinic, located on Ladi Alakija Street, Lekki Phase 1, according to the regulatory agency, was a follow-up to complaints received by the commission from some clients of the clinic regarding certain cosmetic procedures being carried out by the clinic and which were considered unprofessional and potentially injurious.
Speaking to the media after shutting the premises, the commission’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Babatunde Irukera, said besides coming to seal off the premises, the commission had also come to notify the organisation of its intention to commence investigation into the activities of the clinic.
He added that the scope of the investigation is pursuant to sections 17(s), (t), (x), (y) and 13, which prohibit obnoxious practices, require services to be safe and for the commission to reduce risk of injury to consumers as well as ensure that services comply with the required standards of care.
The FCCPC boss explained that there were credible information that Med Contour, owned by Dr. Anu Fella, had engaged in cosmetic medical procedure in a manner that could be described as inconsistent with the law.
“We’ve got a few complaints and we’ve opened an investigation. We’ve also sent out the summons and then the notice of the commencement of investigation,” he added.
Irukera further explained that the law allows the commission, on the suspicion of any illegal activity in certain location, to proceed to that location and stop such activity.
“And that is what we have come to do here today. That is why we are sealing this place, while investigation proceeds. We expect that in the coming days, weeks and months, we’ll be able to conduct investigation to see if anything was going wrong there.
“The information we have seems to tell us that the body modification procedures seem not to comply with applicable standards of care and some have complained to us that they have sustained significant and sometimes irreparable injury on the procedure that they have been subjected to,” he stated.
Irukera however said that while the action was not a disciplinary process, the commission had the responsibility to protect consumers by intervening in whatever processes that could lead to injury or possible fatality. (Nigeria Tribune)
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