Chinese medical centers: unregulated and dangerous

An investigative report

"The child had developed acute renal failure secondary to heavy metal poisoning following treatment at a Chinese medical center in Male'." Sharaf reports to Medical Investigators Team as he had heard a Maldivian doctor telling his colleagues.

We went to a Chinese Medical Center in Male', on an under-cover investigation, to see for ourselves what goes in these unregulated clinics. We have collected a bit of information on the Chinese Medical clinics in Male'.

We found out that the different Chinese Medical Centers registered in Male' have the names of senior Ministry of Health officials listed as their directors and beneficiaries. This was not surprising. Neither is it unique. Most medical clinics in Male' and the islands are registered under similar officials and high ranking administrators.

These medical centers are being allowed to flaunt the regulations governing clinics and medical centers in the country. Simple regulations are broken on a daily basis. Advertisements of hospitals and clinics do not appear on newspapers or broadcast media because of regulations. You wouldn't be able to see ADK hospital running a visual ad campaign. However, ads from Chinese medical centers are seen on most mass media, surprisingly with unbelievable medical claims. A TV ad is on these days on TVM too.

It was easy for our under-cover team of two to get a walk-in appointment at the clinic on Sosun Magu. A "doctor" who apparently is a specialist of "everything under the sun" took us into his office. He took a short history from the patient with the help of a translator. Then after a quick surface examination, even using a stethoscope, came to a conclusion that the patient needs the treatment that he was going to prescribe. He scribbled on a letter head and asked us to show to the nurse. The "nurse" asked us to purchase the medications from them. There were 4 injections and 4 "tablets". We paid Rf856 for the medicines. The nurse then took a disposable syringe and loaded 2 of the injections into the same syringe. We weren't going to get the injections, so we made a scene of the patient being scared of injections and after much convincing got ourselves out of the clinic saying that we'll be back in about an hour.

Import and sale of medications is regulated by the Ministry of Health by a Pharmaceutical Board. The board currently places restrictions on import of certain vital medications into the country for reasons even they would not be able to explain to the public. However, the Chinese Medical Centers can import, use and sell unlabeled and inappropriately labeled medications including injections. Even those that are labeled, are exclusively labeled in Chinese. We got someone to read the labels; his understanding of the "labels" was that "they were just names" and a few of them had names of "herbs". These medications were sold at the clinics by their staff in unlabeled bottles or paper packets, keeping the "secrets" of Chinese medicine secured!?

Our under-cover operation confirmed the way the medications were packed and sold. The contents of the tablets remained a secret until we were able to trace the "patient" the doctor had referred to in the over-heard conversation.

The said patient was a 9 year old girl from an island, we are withholding her identity, who had gone to the Chinese Medical Center with complaints of frequent headaches. She was given injections at the clinic and given 3 different coloured tablets to take regularly. Injections were given twice a day for 3 days and the tablets given for 2 weeks. Halfway through the treatment, she developed blood-stained urine, swelling of the face and legs and severe hic-ups. She was admitted at IGMH and found to have renal failure. She required dialysis and was transfered to India. Luckily, they took the medications with them. These were analyzed and found to have among other things high levels of Lead, Morphine and Lithium (all pharmacological agents of allopathic medicine). The injection was found to be Methylprednisolone (a pharmaceutical agent, a steroid). The doctors in India had diagnosed "Acute Renal failure secondary to Heavy metal poisoning". She did get better and returned to Maldives. Her case was discussed with the doctors at IGMH, who are now monitoring her kidney functions as per advice of the specialists in India.

We called Department of Public Health to inquire about the Chinese Medical Centers. We were told that those centers were not under their regulations; they were apparently registered as businesses at the Trade Ministry.

We also called Ministry of Health and spoke to a "Pharmacist" who said that the "Pharmacy board doe not regulate the Chinese medicines", they were apparently imported as health supplements for which no approval is required!

We understand that none of the medical clinics are properly regulated in the Maldives, but the operation of these Chinese Medical Centers as purely businesses with no regard to public health consequences is beyond our logic.

We are sure that there are other stories of similar nature. We would like to encourage those with personal experiences of similar , or even good experiences to write to us.