Katrina Halili still on warpath
MANILA, Philippines – Still on the warpath, actress Katrina Halili yesterday charged Doctors Hayden Kho Jr. and Vicki Belo with medical malpractice at the Professional Regulation Commission.
In her complaint, Halili said that Kho, even without proper training, performed a liposuction on her at the Belo Medical Clinic in August 2007, according to lawyer Pharson Mamalo, head of the PRC legal division.
Belo was included in the complaint because Kho, who used to work at the Belo Medical Clinic, performed the liposuction with her consent, Halili said.
Halili also personally filed yesterday a petition before the Department of Health asking the agency to close down all clinics of the Belo Medical Group Inc. for having allowed Kho to perform the liposuction.
Not qualified
Belo (who was formally identified as Maria Victoria Belo-Henares), in both of Halili’s complaints, was accused of having “recklessly” allowed her then boyfriend Kho to perform liposuction on Halili “despite the fact that Dr. Hayden lacked the qualification, training, and specialization as a cosmetic surgeon.”
Kho performed the liposuction on her in August 2007, barely six months after he passed the medical board exam in February 2007, according to the actress.
Halili claimed Belo violated the rules and regulations governing the licensure and regulation of ambulatory surgical clinics (Administrative Order No. 183 series of 2004) for failing to appoint “suitably qualified, skilled and/or experienced” personnel.
She asked the DoH to permanently revoke the license to operate of all branches of the Belo Medical Group Inc.
“To protect the safety of the public in general as well as the interest of the Philippine medical tourism, complainant [Halili] most respectfully asks the Bureau of Health Facilities and Services of the DOH for the preventive suspension of the operations of the Belo Medical Group Inc. pending the investigation of the complaint,” Halili said.
Disgrace to the profession
Last month, Halili also asked the PRC to revoke Kho’s license and ban him from practicing medicine, saying that he was a disgrace to the medical profession.
Halili filed an administrative complaint for immorality, dishonorable, and unethical conduct against Kho, her ex-lover, in connection with a sex video surreptitiously taken by Kho circulating on the Internet.
The circulation of the sex video featuring the two former lovers triggered a full-blown Senate hearing, an unprecedented internal investigation by the Philippine Medical Association and a criminal investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation.
Also yesterday, Iloilo Representative Janette Garin, who is also a doctor of medicine, called on the Senate to approve the Physicians Act that seeks to ensure tighter regulation of medical doctors.
Garin, taking note of the Halili scandal, said the Senate should also consider the abuses done in the medical profession because the country’s current Medical Act, crafted in 1959, was obsolete.
Belo’s reply
Belo disputed Halili’s allegations on Kho’s competence.
In a statement, Belo said Kho was a graduate of the University of Sto. Tomas College of Medicine and Surgery and had performed over 300 liposuction procedures before operating on Halili.
She added: “As evidenced by numerous posters, billboards, TV appearances, and video and photographic materials, the results of Katrina’s liposuction were more than satisfactory. There were no reports of any complaints from any parties after the procedure was completed. “
Based on every possible criteria, the procedure was a complete success, she said.
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