Yahoo – AFP,
13 Feb 2015
South Korea
on Friday announced a crackdown on illegal brokers and unregistered clinics in
a bid to protect medical tourists, especially those drawn by the country's
booming plastic surgery industry.
The Health
Ministry unveiled a raft of measures drafted in response to a growing number of
complaints over botched jobs and exorbitant billing, many of them filed by
Chinese women who travel specifically to South Korea for cosmetic procedures.
A
50-year-old Chinese woman was left in a coma late last month after undergoing a
procedure at a plastic surgery clinic in the up-market Seoul district of
Gangnam.
"Market-disturbing
activities involving illegal brokers and inflated fees, as well as disputes
over malpractice, are sparking complaints from foreign patients," the
ministry said in a statement.
"This
package of measures is aimed at sustaining international trust in the country's
plastic surgery market," it said.
The number
of foreigners travelling to South Korea for medical treatment has been
increasing by an average 37 percent a year since 2009 and totalled more than
210,000 in 2013.
Many of
those came for cosmetic treatment, ranging from relatively straightforward
procedures like unwanted hair removal and double-eyelid surgery, to highly
invasive jaw surgery.
South
Korea, and particularly Seoul, has an international reputation for plastic
surgery, and adverts featuring famous surgeons and giant before-and-after
photos are omnipresent -- on street billboards, subway trains, bus stops and
the backs of bus seats.
China's
growing middle class is a vast potential market, and many Korean clinics have
Chinese-language websites.
According
to the health ministry, more than 25,400 Chinese came for cosmetic treatment in
2013, an increase of 70 percent from the previous year, with each one spending
an average of $3,150.
In order to
prevent price-gouging and ensure standards are maintained, the new measures
unveiled Friday require any medical facility treating foreign patients -- and
any brokers they use to attract clients -- to register with the ministry.
Failure to
do so carries a maximum three-year jail sentence and a hefty fine.
The
ministry said it would offer cash rewards to people who help identify and
convict unauthorised brokers, who often charge outrageous fees for their
services.
A new
online rating system will be introduced to evaluate medical service providers,
and potential medical tourists will be able to research the results on an
official website (www.medicalkorea.or.kr).
Operating
fees, the possibility of side-effects and details for the settlement of
post-surgery disputes must all be provided and agreed on before any procedure.
The
government will also set up a dedicated agency to provide foreigners with
information on medical facilities and assist with legal advice.
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