Unauthorized Cosmetic Clinics Closed in Egypt, Illegal Drugs Seized

The Egyptian Ministry of Health continued its strict campaigns against unlicensed cosmetic centers, announcing yesterday, Thursday, the closure of two centers in New Cairo (Cairo) and Sheikh Zayed (Giza) after detecting serious health violations and the absence of legal permits.

The ministry's spokesperson, Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, explained that the Free Treatment and Pharmaceutical Inspection departments, in coordination with the security agencies, raided the two centers and found that they were operating without a license, in violation of Law No. 153 of 2004 regulating medical facilities.

During the raid, unlicensed laser devices, skin cleansing equipment, cosmetic materials such as fillers and botox that did not meet medical standards, as well as drugs and injections from unknown sources violating pharmacy laws, were seized.

The biggest surprise was that the person in charge of one of the centers was not a doctor but only held a diploma in management and secretarial work, practicing cosmetic medicine in explicit violation of Law No. 415 of 1954 regulating the practice of medicine.

It was also revealed that the centers were dealing with hazardous medical waste without any permits or safety procedures, posing a risk to public health.

Dr. Hisham Zaki, Head of the Central Administration for Non-Governmental Medical Institutions, confirmed that the centers were sealed, and official reports on the confiscated items were prepared to take legal action against the violators.

This comes as part of a series of ongoing campaigns by the Ministry of Health to crack down on unlicensed medical facilities, with several cosmetic centers and clinics being closed in recent weeks, some of which were promoting dermatological treatments without supervision.

The ministry urged citizens to verify the licenses of clinics and doctors before receiving any medical or cosmetic services, to safeguard their health and safety.