Najaf shuts down unlicensed cosmetic clinic run by woman posing as doctor

NAJAF — The Najaf Medical Syndicate, in collaboration with a ministerial committee and local security forces, has shut down an unlicensed cosmetic clinic in the al-Jamia neighborhood that was operated by a woman impersonating a licensed doctor. The raid, conducted on Sunday, led to the confiscation of unauthorized medical equipment, banned medications, and surgical tools.

The Najaf Medical Syndicate reported that the clinic, situated opposite Najaf Ashraf Teaching Hospital, was advertised as “Dr. Ikhlas Al-Badiri, Specialist in Cosmetic Surgery, Ph.D.” The woman running the clinic was not a licensed doctor but had assumed false credentials to perform unauthorized cosmetic treatments, including hair transplants. “She was conducting unlicensed cosmetic procedures under false credentials,” the syndicate’s statement said.

Authorities have taken legal action, and all equipment and medications found on the premises have been seized. The Najaf Medical Syndicate emphasized the necessity for clinic and beauty center operators to adhere strictly to legal regulations to ensure public health and safety.

The Iraqi Parliamentary Health and Environment Committee, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, launched a task force in August to address the proliferation of unlicensed cosmetic clinics nationwide. Committee member Siham Al-Moussawi stated that a substantial number of illegal cosmetic facilities, some tied to influential individuals, have been identified. Al-Moussawi told Al-Sabah, Iraq’s state-owned newspaper, that the Ministry of Health is enacting “strict measures” to close these unlicensed establishments to maintain public safety.

The Iraqi Medical Association has raised concerns over the rise of unlicensed cosmetic clinics, many of which are operated by unqualified personnel, leading to an increase in patients with irreversible injuries from poorly executed procedures. An investigation by the Network of Iraqi Reporters for Investigative Journalism revealed that nearly 80% of cosmetic clinics in Iraq are operating without proper licensing. According to a Ministry of Health source, some barbershops in Baghdad have been repurposed into makeshift clinics, and licensed doctors are reportedly renting their credentials to untrained practitioners.