Nghe An: Control and strictly handle beauty care facilities

Multiple violations

To control and rectify the operations of service establishmentsbeautifyIn the area, in November - December 2022, Vinh City People's Committee established an interdisciplinary inspection team to inspect beauty salons and beauty establishments. The team made surprise inspections of 7 beauty service establishments located in Truong Thi, Hung Binh and Hung Phuc wards and discovered many shortcomings and violations; made records of violations, suspended operations, and requested Vinh City People's Committee to issue administrative sanctions.

A patient had his eyelids damaged due to using illegal eyelid surgery services at a beauty salon. Photo: Internet

On November 24, 2022, based on information from local people, the interdisciplinary inspection team suddenly inspected the facility.AestheticsST Diamond is located at 18, lane 1, Tran Thu Do street, Truong Thi ward, owned by Ms. Le Thi Phuong Thao (born in 1988, residing in village 1, Tao Son commune, Anh Son district). This is a facility located on the 3rd floor of a 3-storey building, without a sign. When checking, the team discovered that the facility was performing double eyelid surgery on a customer without a license to operate a medical examination and treatment facility. (At the facility, there were 2 other customers waiting to receive the service, suspected of having liposuction performed).

Checking the business license of ST Diamond Beauty Salon, the scope of operation of the facility only includes regular beauty care services, hair washing, nail care, etc. The Vinh City interdisciplinary inspection team has drawn up a record of administrative violations; requiring ST Diamond Beauty Salon to stop providing beauty services. At the same time, the inspection team has submitted a report to Vinh City People's Committee to issue a decision to sanction this facility for administrative violations according to regulations.

On November 25, 2022, the Chairman of Vinh City People's Committee issued a decision to administratively fine Ms. Le Thi Phuong Thao with a fine of 45 million VND. Vinh City People's Committee requested Ms. Le Thi Phuong Thao to pay the fine at the Vinh City State Treasury within 10 days from the date of receiving the penalty decision... It is worth mentioning that after being discovered in violation, ST Diamond Aesthetics facility closed down, moved away and the owner of the facility has not yet complied with the penalty decision.

Decision to impose administrative sanctions on Ms. Le Thi Phuong Thao - Owner of ST Diamond beauty salon. Photo: Thanh Chung

Ms. Ho Thi Hoa - Head of Vinh City Health Department, Head of the interdisciplinary inspection team said: In addition to ST Diamond Beauty Facility, there is also 01 facility on Nguyen Van Cu Street with signs of violations. When checking the actual site, the team discovered injection solutions, syringes, cotton swabs... Records show that customers had filled grooves and tattooed. At the time of inspection, the staff did not have a practice certificate and the facility had no customers using the service. The team has handed it over to local authorities for supervision.

According to Ms. Ho Thi Hoa: Through inspection, common violations at beauty service establishments are practicing beyond the permitted scope; employees have not been trained in preventing blood-borne and biological infections; not reporting activities to competent authorities... The delegation requested the establishments to stop activities and services beyond the permitted scope; requested the establishments to complete the required procedural documents.

Vinh City Health Department said: At this time, the whole city has only 53 beauty service establishments that have notified the authorities. Currently, the department has requested localities to review and count the number of establishments to put them under management and control.

Decentralization and management

Along with the Vinh City interdisciplinary inspection team, in December 2022, the inspection team of the Department of Health also inspected 02 cosmetic and beauty establishments on Le Nin Avenue. Mr. Nguyen Huu Le - Deputy Director of the Department of Health, Head of the team said: The point to note is that these 2 establishments have good facilities. The problem is that the 2 establishments have not completed the legal documents and have not completed the declaration procedures. There are some technical services that go beyond the scope of professional activities. In addition to the violations, the team also found that some types of professional certificates of employees are questionable, with low authenticity and legality. The inspection team has drawn up a record of violations and taken steps to handle them in accordance with regulations.

Many beauty care facilities are using invasive services beyond their permitted scope of operation. Photo: Thanh Chung

Currently, the owners of beauty service establishments themselves still do not distinguish between the concepts of spa, regular beauty establishment, cosmetic establishment... as well as the legal regulations and business conditions of the industry. Or the owners themselves understand but intentionally violate. Therefore, many establishments are only allowed to do business in regular beauty services such as massage, skin care but still intentionally or unintentionally do business in invasive surgical and internal medical services such as surgery, radiation, and burning. Outside the establishments still hang signs saying spa, massage but in reality, inside they do business in services managed by the health sector.

According to Decision No. 27/2018/QD-TTg dated July 6, 2018 of the Prime Minister on promulgating the system of business lines, the business lines registered for spa include the business of sauna, massage, sunbathing, non-surgical cosmetic services; haircut, hairdressing, shampooing, facial massage, pedicure, manicure, makeup. Thus, beauty care service (Spa) is a beauty care activity that does not cause bleeding, does not perform surgery on the human body like a hospital or beauty salon...

According to Decree 155/2018/ND-CP dated November 12, 2018 amending and supplementing a number of regulations related to investment and business conditions under the state management of the Ministry of Health, beauty care service establishments are not included in the group of organizational forms of medical examination and treatment establishments. The health sector only performs management work with cosmetic service establishments, cosmetic clinics, cosmetic hospitals, etc.

Through inspection, the Health Department's inspection team discovered many certificates with questionable authenticity and legality. Photo: Thanh Chung

Ms. Ho Thi Hoa - Head of Vinh City Health Department stated: With these regulations, normal beauty care service establishments are not under the management of the health sector. When wanting to inspect these establishments, it is mandatory to establish an interdisciplinary team. However, inspecting and punishing normal beauty care establishments that operate beyond the permitted scope (doing invasive services) is not easy because the mandatory requirement is to catch them red-handed. Meanwhile, the human resources to conduct inspections are thin. Invasive service establishments often operate in private places, with surveillance cameras outside to detect inspection teams. When the team arrives to inspect, the establishment promptly closes the door to the place where the service is performed or disperses customers and evidence.

At this time, managing and controlling beauty care service establishments is very difficult. However, no matter how difficult it is, it must be done because the violations of these establishments all pose a risk to people's health.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Le said: The Department of Health will continue to strengthen inspection activities, as well as direct localities to step up inspection, examination and continuous supervision. The health sector is always ready to support human resources for localities. In 2023, the health sector will advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue regulations, clearly defining responsibilities for localities in management, inspection, supervision and handling of violations. Because no one will know better than the activities of beauty care service establishments in their area.