The Health Professions Authority of Zimbabwe (HPA) has shut down several unregistered and illegal health facilities in Harare's affluent suburbs as part of a crackdown on unauthorised medical and cosmetic procedures.
The operation follows growing concerns over the proliferation of beauty parlours, wellness spas and boutique clinics offering specialised treatments without the required licenses, qualified personnel or regulatory oversight.
HPA secretary-general Clotilda Chimbwanda confirmed the closures yesterday, saying the exercise was aimed at protecting the public from unsafe and unlawful medical practices.
“I can say that as long as the facility is not registered and does not comply, it’s illegal and we shut it down,” Chimbwanda told Standard People.
“Yes, I can confirm that some boutique clinics offering specialised treatments without the required licenses and qualified personnel were shutdown during our recent inspections.
“As HPA we do what we call routine inspections to check if the health facilities comply and if they are marred by qualified personnel.
“Last year we managed to shut down more than 40 illegal health facilities and we encourage these facilities to follow proper registration processes.”
The crackdown comes weeks after the HPA warned that a number of facilities were illegally offering services such as teeth whitening, intravenous vitamin infusions, chemical skin peels and other invasive cosmetic procedures.
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Investigations by Standard People revealed that many of these treatments were being performed by untrained and unregistered individuals, exposing clients to serious health risks.
This publication through an investigations conducted in April, also identified several facilities in Harare among establishments offering such services.
"The HPA is governed by the Health Professions Act [Chapter 27:19], which serves as the primary legislation to safeguard the Zimbabwean public," Chimbwanda said.
She cited Section 121 of the Act, which prohibits any person from practising as a health practitioner or performing acts reserved for registered health professionals without proper registration.
"Performing medical acts such as injections or chemical treatments in an environment other than a registered health facility is a direct violation of the law," she said.
Chimbwanda added that Section 99 of the Act prohibits the operation of any health institution that is not registered with the Authority.
"Any unregistered facility offering medical-grade cosmetic procedures is therefore operating illegally," she said.
The HPA warned that procedures conducted in unregulated environments expose patients to serious dangers, including infections, blood-borne diseases and medical emergencies.
"Non-clinical environments often lack the infection prevention and control standards required for procedures involving needles or broken skin," Chimbwanda said.
"Unlicensed facilities are also not equipped to manage emergencies such as severe allergic reactions or anaphylactic shock."
She said the Authority would continue enforcing the law to ensure that only qualified and accountable professionals provide medical services.
Chimbwanda urged members of the public to verify the registration status of both practitioners and facilities before undergoing any medical or cosmetic procedure.
