WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1984
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ILLEGAL MEDICAL PRACTICES REPORTED
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ALTOGETHER NINE CASES OF PERSONS WHO WERE ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN PRACTISING WESTERN MEDICINE ILLEGALLY BY USING STEROID INJECTIONS ON PATIENTS HAD BEEN REPORTED BY DOCTORS.
THIS WAS DISCLOSED BY THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR THE HON K.L. THONG, IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS RAISED BY DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
DR THONG INFORMED THE COUNCIL THAT ALL NINE CASES HAD BEEN REFERRED IMMEDIATELY BY HIS DEPARTMENT TO THE POLICE FOR ACTIONS.
TO DATE, THE POLICE HAD CARRIED OUT RAIDS ON SIX PREMISES AND ACTION WAS STILL PENDING ON THE REMAINING THREE CASES, HE SAID.
+PRESUMABLY, WHEN INVESTIGATIONS ARE COMPLETED AND IF THE EVIDENCE SO JUSTIFIES, APPROPRIATE CHARGES UNDER THE RELEVANT ORDINANCES WILL BE LAID AGAINST THEM IN THE LAW COURTS,+ DR THONG SAID.
+ALL THESE CASES ARE STILL SUBJUDICE AND NO ONE IS DEEMED GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN TO BE SO, HE ADDED.
MEANWHILE, THESE PRACTITIONERS WERE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE THE IR PRACTICE WITHIN THE PROVISIONS OF THE LAW,
WITH REGARD TO THE MONITORING AND PREVENTION OF ILLEGAL PRACTICE, DR THONG SAID THAT THIS WAS DONE THROUGH SURVEILLANCE AND GATHERING OF EVIDENCE, EITHER FROM COMPLAINTS BY THE PUBLIC OR FROM REPORTS BY PUBLIC HOSPITALS AND CLINICS.
THESE CASES WERE THEN REPORTED TO THE POLICE SO THAT THEY MIGHT BE SUBJECTED TO THE FULL PROCESS OF THE LAW, HE SAID.
PILL USERS WARNED OF SIDE EFFECTS
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ALL BRANDS OF ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES SOLD IN HONG KONG HAVE WARNINGS ABOUT THE IR SIDE EFFECTS, THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. THE HON K.L. THONG SAID TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON CARL TONG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, DR THONG SAID THAT MANUFACTURERS OF DRUGS NORMALLY PROVIDED ACCOMPANYING LITERATURE WHICH INCLUDED WARNINGS ON SIDE EFFECTS TO THE END-USERS.
ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO SPECIFIC LAWS REQUIRING ACCOMPANYING LITERATURE ON SIDE EFFECTS OF DRUGS, MANUFACTURERS HAD BEEN MOST CO-OPERATIVE IN THIS RESPECT, AS IT WAS ALSO IN THEIR OWN INTEREST TO DO SO, HE SAID.
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