MOH revises licensing terms for liposuction services

SINGAPORE — Only medical clinics that are approved to provide ambulatory surgery and hospitals will be allowed to conduct liposuctions from March next year, announced the Ministry of Health today (Oct 31).

The MOH revealed the latest revision to its licensing conditions for liposuction services following a scheduled review with the Accreditation Committee on Liposuction (ACL).

The revised set of licensing terms are already in effect, but existing clinics that provide liposuction services will be given until March 1 next year to receive approval to provide ambulatory surgery.

Medical clinics that intend to provide liposuction services must first apply for approval to become Ambulatory Surgical Centres (ASCs). Thereafter, the ASCs must apply for additional approval to provide liposuction in their clinics.

Under the licensing conditions, doctors who wish to perform liposuction in a medical clinic must also be accredited by the ACL.

Members of the public have been advised to check whether their medical practitioners and healthcare institutions are properly licensed or accredited to perform any procedures or treatments.

“As a highly invasive procedure, liposuction has been known to cause severe complications, including death. Hence, it should be carried out only by trained doctors in well-equipped and well-staffed facilities,” the MOH said.