Indonesia Shuts Down Illegal Foreign-Owned Beauty Clinic in Bali to Protect Public
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government has shut down an illegal beauty clinic in Bali after it was proven to be providing medical aesthetic services without a licence and illegally employing foreign national (WNA) medical staff.
Head of the Ministry of Health’s Communication and Public Information Bureau, Aji Muhawarman, stated in Jakarta on Wednesday that the closure of PRIME Skin Clinic, formerly known as Elasto Beauty, was a form of rapid government response to protect the public from medical practices that endanger health.
“This law enforcement step in the form of a closure is carried out not only to protect the public, but also to maintain international trust in Bali as a safe, high-quality, and reliable wellness tourism destination,” he said.
He explained that this action was based on the results of an investigation and intensive coordination led by the Ministry of Health together with cross-ministerial and agency partners.
Previously, the Ministry of Health had held a tactical coordination meeting involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), the Indonesian Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS TNI), as well as the Bali Provincial Health Office and the Badung Regency Health Office as the parties executing the operation on the ground.
Based on the investigation results, he said, the facility was confirmed to be completely unregistered in the Ministry of Health’s Health Service Facility Registration system. Besides lacking an official operational licence, the clinic was found to be employing a number of foreign medical and health workers from Russia and Armenia without valid permit documents.
In following up on these findings, Aji explained that the regional Health Office along with related agencies had moved on the ground to secure facts and supporting evidence to strengthen the subsequent legal process.
“Currently, the facility has been followed up and closed. All cross-sectoral agencies have expressed readiness to take firm action according to their respective authorities, whether from the health, immigration, or business licensing aspects,” Aji said.
He reminded that unlicensed practice, the use of workers without Registration Certificates (STR) and Practice Licences (SIP), as well as the use of drugs and medical devices without distribution permits are serious violations that the government cannot tolerate.
“The Ministry of Health is committed to protecting the public through quality service supervision. Every violation will be dealt with firmly according to applicable law to maintain the integrity of the national health system,” he stated.
His party urged the public to always be critical and only access health services at facilities that have official licences and are handled by competent, certified medical personnel.
The public can also independently verify the legality of health facilities and medical personnel, as well as report suspected illegal practices through official government complaint channels.