Basra authorities shut down fake cosmetic clinic, detain man posing as dermatologist

BASRA — The Basra Health Directorate said Wednesday it detained a man posing as a dermatologist who was operating a cosmetic clinic in the Al-Hartha district with a forged license.

In a statement, the directorate said medical equipment from the clinic was seized and the facility was closed.

Authorities have reported similar cases across Iraq. In May, officials in Najaf shut down an unlicensed cosmetic clinic in the Al-Adala neighborhood and arrested two people, including a man accused of impersonating a cosmetic specialist.

In November, authorities closed an unlicensed clinic in Baghdad’s Al-Jamia area, where a woman had posed as a doctor. Banned medications and surgical tools were seized in that operation.

In August 2024, the Parliamentary Health and Environment Committee and the Ministry of Health formed a national task force to combat the spread of unauthorized cosmetic clinics across the country.