China, S. Korea to build accreditation platform for plastic surgeons   

中韩拟建立韩国整形美容医生资质信息认证平台

近期，中国一些女孩赴韩整形维权失败事件引起社会广泛关注。中国整形美容协会19日在北京就此召开新闻通报会并表示，协会已与韩国韩中医疗友好协会进行商谈，双方达成一致，拟对韩国整形美容医生行医资格建立认证平台。同时中国整形美容协会将成立外国来华行医资质认证小组，对韩国的整形美容医生信息进行核实、认证。 [查看全文]

(ECNS) -- The China Association of Plastics and Aesthetics (CAPA) under the National Health and Family Planning Commission said Thursday at a press briefing that it has reached and agreement with the South Korean side to jointly set up a qualifications accreditation platform for South Korean plastic surgeons.

South Korea is becoming an increasingly popular destination for Chinese seeking cosmetic surgery, though failed operations and related disputes are increasing by 10 to 15 percent annually, according to an industry watchdog statement released in Beijing on Thursday.

In 2014 alone, 56,000 Chinese had plastic surgery while 70,000 underwent medical examinations in South Korea, with the latter opening around 30 new aesthetic and medical clinics in China, according to official statistics released by South Korea.

Zhang Bin, president of the CAPA, said some unsatisfied patients lacked knowledge about the medical competencies of South Korean hospitals as well as the qualifications of their cosmetic surgeons. There are tens of thousands of plastic surgeons in South Korea, but only about 1,500 are legally registered, meaning qualifications vary greatly, according to a report by the Chinese-language newspaper Beijing Times on Friday, citing Zhang.

Language barriers and illegal intermediaries in the grey area of the law are also to blame, Zhang commented. He is calling on business and police authorities to step up the crackdown on illegal organizations in this field.

Judicial procedures make medical misadventure cases extremely complicated while it can be very hard and expensive for victims to have their ruined faces fixed or seek compensation, it was added. Zhang advised caution and research into potential medical institutions and plastic surgeons before making any final decisions.