Four unlicensed cosmetic surgery centers shut down in Zakho

ZAKHO — Authorities in Zakho, Duhok governorate, announced the closure of four unlicensed cosmetic surgery centers on Sunday, with the Zakho District Committee stating that the owners of these centers would face legal action.

In addition to operating without proper official permits, one of the centers was found using expired filler materials, with records indicating their expiration date was in 2019. The inspection committee confiscated the expired products from the facility.

Walat Hajar, head of the Zakho’s Market Monitoring Committees, told 964media, “The owners of all four centers will be referred to the courts and no leniency will be shown. This matter is directly related to public health, and no one is allowed to operate illegally under any pretext. They will face strict penalties, and their facilities will remain closed until they obtain proper licensing.”

Hajar added that the Zakho district committees will continue to monitor the market to prevent any violations or unauthorized operations.

The incident is part of a broader crackdown on unlicensed cosmetic centers across the country. Earlier last month, in Najaf, the Medical Syndicate, working in coordination with a ministerial committee and local security forces, shut down an unlicensed cosmetic clinic in the Al-Jamia neighborhood. The clinic was being operated by a woman posing as a licensed doctor.

In late August, the Iraqi Parliamentary Health and Environment Committee, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, initiated a task force to address the proliferation of unlicensed cosmetic clinics nationwide.

“There are a large number of illegal cosmetic clinics, many run by prominent and influential figures,” committee member Siham Al-Moussawi told the state-owned Al-Sabah newspaper. She highlighted that the Ministry of Health is enforcing “strict measures” to close down clinics lacking proper licenses.