Iraqi authorities crack down on unlicensed cosmetic clinics amid rise in botched surgeries

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Parliamentary Health and Environment Committee, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, has launched a task force to clamp down on unlicensed cosmetic clinics operating across the country.

“There are a large number of illegal cosmetic clinics, many run by prominent and influential individuals,” committee member Siham Al-Moussawi told the state-owned Al-Sabah newspaper. She emphasized that the Ministry of Health is implementing “strict measures” to shut down clinics operating without proper licenses.

Al-Moussawi further noted that many of these unlicensed facilities are performing cosmetic procedures that frequently result in botched surgeries, primarily affecting women in Baghdad and other regions. “Most of the victims are women who undergo unsuccessful procedures,” she added.

According to the Iraqi Medical Association, dozens of cosmetic clinics have opened in Iraqi cities in recent years, with many operating without official permits or being managed by unqualified personnel. As a result, the number of victims suffering permanent disabilities due to botched plastic surgeries has increased.

An investigation by the Network of Iraqi Reporters for Investigative Journalism revealed that approximately 80 percent of Iraqi cosmetic clinics lack proper licensing, according to a source within the Ministry of Health. The source also disclosed that some barbershops in Baghdad have been converted into cosmetic clinics, while licensed doctors rent out their credentials to unqualified practitioners.

Tragic incidents have highlighted the dangers involved. In 2022, just nine months after her marriage, 25-year-old Iman decided to undergo liposuction at Al-Ameerat Hospital in Baghdad to address sagging around her abdomen. Her family claims that a surgical mistake during the procedure led to her death. Iman is one of many women who have died due to “medical errors” in Iraq’s rapidly growing cosmetic surgery industry, where rising demand has fueled a proliferation of unlicensed clinics, non-specialists performing complex surgeries, and individuals impersonating surgeons.

On April 20, 2023, the Ministry of Interior announced the closure of 20 unlicensed cosmetic clinics in Baghdad as part of a joint campaign with the Ministry of Health. Authorities also shut down 11 clinics in other governorates and arrested 36 unlicensed operators, who are now awaiting legal proceedings. The ministry urged citizens to report unauthorized clinics through a dedicated hotline.