Chinese national arrested 'for illegal practice of medicine' -- NBI
A Chinese national has been arrested in Binondo, Manila by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for alleged illegal practice of medicine.
The NBI identified the Chinese national as Chen Hong Ru who was arrested by operatives of the NBI National Capital Region (NBI-NCR) at his clinic during an entrapment operation last July 14.
It said that Chen was caught in the act of dispensing medicines and examining the informant who was with an undercover NBI agent.
With his arrest, Chen was charged before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office with violations of Republic Act (RA) 2382, the Medical Act of 1959, and RA 9711, the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009.
The NBI said it acted on the information provided by Filipino-Chinese informants who reported that “a certain Chen Hong Ru was allegedly engaged in illegal practice of medicine for representing himself as a physician, conducting medical procedures in a makeshift clinic, and dispensing Chinese medicines without proper authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other relevant government regulatory agencies.”
Prior to the entrapment operation, the NBI said its operatives along with the informants proceeded to the clinic on July 8 to verify the information.
Pretending to be suffering from a severe headache and stomach pain, the informant was examined by Chen. After examination, Chen sold to the informant one box of Betaloc AstraZeneca (labeled in Chinese) and several Chinese medicines contained in four self-sealing plastic sachets, it said.
The informant paid Chen P1,500 for the check-up and the medicine, it added.