NEW YORK-based Filipina banker Maria Cruz.Dead at 35 in the hands of fake American cosmetic surgeon Dean Faiello.Michael Bautista, Jody Cuachon, Carlo Belgica and Vinzon Villalobos. Scarred patients of unlicensed dermatologist Kiel Gamana San Miguel following series of botched medical procedures in Manila.A 24 year-old woman dead in Quezon City last year for a breast and buttocks enhancement procedure. Wife of a top Manila Customs official dead after yet another botched medical “beauty” procedure this time inside one of the swanky beauty clinics in Makati City. And the statistics particularly here and likewise abroad continue to rise. Maybe argued as “acceptable” morbidities yet if we are to take a deeper look into the Iloilo scenario, undoubtedly unnecessary morbidities really.

Dean was dubbed by the American press as “Dr. Evil.”San Miguel on the other hand arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for illegal practice of medicine and injecting patients’ cheeks with motor oil passed off as silicone oil.

Nations apart, these victims and their families now joined by an unfortunate end to an otherwise normal desire and intent to look good and feel good.

Which brings into focus the seriously outdated Republic Act 2382, the Medical Act of 1959. Times have most definitely changed that with the above-stated occurrences, provisions of RA 2382 are no longer responsive to the actual needs of the Filipino medical and non-medical community.

In this city alone, I am pretty confident that nobody has been indicted much less charged for violating the Medical Act. Or if there is one, then it could not have been for illegal medical practice of aesthetic surgery. Highly-urbanized city that it is with an impressive literacy rate, amazingly present here are willing victims to a potentially-fatal practice of illegal aesthetic surgery cum cosmetic surgery. Beauty for a price that Ilonggo beauties are willing to pay, never mind that these are in the hands of an unlicensed practitioner.

Last week had me write a two-part story on this quack ‘doctor’ after months of investigation. Immediately thereafter came series of text messages from apparent happy customers of this man, irked over the news stories, the said messages not directly sent to me but meant for me.

One woman bearing the “De Rossa mark” – one-size-fits-all nose, eye-folds way too high and a very tight skin – was most aggressive with her sentiments. So what? Came her response. So what if her doctor is illegal and fake since after all, even her dentist is fake, unlicensed. So what if her doctor is not real since he did get their noses done and the hundreds of thousands paid to him are spent to help his family.

Another wanted me to know that the lady complainant reached by this writer and interviewed as well by Bombo Radyo Iloilo was “actually a Japayuki.” She said this supposed Japayuki was “actually” mauled in Japan thus the need to have the nose repaired. Sorry but we must be talking here of two different women.

Our source is a homemaker who had a very serious infection that had pus developed all over her new nose and foreign object – glue stick-like – removed. Pure and simple – the implant was not silicone. But she feels sorry for “Dr. De Rossi’s” other patients including herself. She now got a better nose, got rid of the old one and got rid of her “bestfriend” who served as “De Rossi-agent.” Never again, she vowed.

But back to the botched medical procedures in Manila that had authorities file charges on specific violations of RA 2382 and Estafa. The latter for the money paid to the fake docs. A closer scrutiny of existing laws really has yet to address the illegalities involved in unlicensed aesthetic surgeries in the Philippines.

Amendments were introduced though in the 13th Congress by then Akbayan Representative Loreta Ann Rosales in House Bill 00802. Unfortunately, to date, the move has to really take off.

There is absolutely nothing wrong to have a better nose, better face, better eyes, slimmer more contoured body, more pronounced buttocks and that perfect-looking breasts. That’s the human part of us deprived of the fountain of youth. It is a matter of personal choice. The most thus far though I have done is dye my hair to my preferred color of auburn, blonde, brown or highlights of it all. Me as fake blond is a convenient excuse for my fake-blonde moments. But do I use just about any kind of hair color available in the market? No. I owe it to myself to at least use one that will not cause damage. Do I let my cook at home color my hair? No. I hire my hairdresser for the task. Why go cheap on yourself and your vanity?

No less than Dr. Juan Sanchez who has at least 17 years of plastic surgery practice and formal training here in the Philippines and in the United States stresses the need for caution. Reached by Bombo Radyo, Dr. Sanchez said, anybody thinking of getting a nose job or breast implants “should be concerned not just about the procedure, but more about the surgeon’s qualifications to do the operation.”

And if the procedure is being done in a hotel, be more cautious. Be very cautious.

Meantime the obvious need hangs. Wanted: Tougher provisions on Medical Act of 1959.

2 Responses to “Wanted: A tougher Medical Act in the Philippines”

• 1
  jc marques
  June 26th, 2008 18:00

  hello! this is jc marques from kapuso mo, jessica soho of GMA-7 manila. We are currently doing a story regarding Medical Malpractices. May i have your contact number? We are looking for a victim of such practice, through aesthetic surgery. My personal email address is jayceemarques@yahoo.com, my mobile is 0916-2502889. You can also email me at kmjs@gmanetwork.com Thank you and God bless!
• 2
  Philip Hermann
  November 13th, 2008 17:00

  my mpm is a graduateof a distinguised manila medical school trained in the USA and practiced in Europe for years
  WHere is the Phiilippine licensure Board? are they just there to correct their exams and fees and Basta, where isthe Philippine Medical Association? are they waaiting for the deathsto toal thousands sos a catastrophe isdeclared, again a BAHALA NA attitude of Filipinos,is our people destined to be ignorant,unschooled,primitive(there is beauty in this sometimes) and gullible, we should go at the bottom sourceof why we still are and why there is a good amount of intelligentsia that exist in this country

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