Experts hail HC order, call for urgent action

New Delhi: Athar Rasheed’s isn’t the first case where allegations have been made about a botched-up hair transplant leading to death. Multiple such cases have been reported in the past; but, experts say, the issue of untrained professionals conducting the surgical procedure has remained unaddressed.
“We hope that the high court order pushes the governments to act urgently in the matter,” Dr Kabir Sardana, professor of dermatology at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, said.
A hair transplant is a procedure in which the doctor moves hair follicles from the dense area, usually the back or side of the head, to the bald area of the head.
Dr Sardana said hair transplant had become a lucrative business over the past decade and many people — from MBBS graduates to skin specialists, plastic surgeons, dentists and even those without a medical degree — were getting into it. “National Medical Council, which regulates medical education in the country, hasn’t laid down guidelines on who cannot do a hair transplant,” the doctor explained.
In Rasheed’s case, the petition states that the transplant was carried out in a hair studio by technicians for Rs 30,000. Soon, the 35-year-old developed serious pain in scalp, followed by swelling on face and shoulder, and was admitted to Fortis Escorts Heart Institute (FEHI). Rasheed died due to septic shock with multiple-organ failure in a case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a severe skin reaction.
“The technicians performing the procedure in salons or many standalone clinics may have learned the procedure, but more often than not lack in training to deal with potential complications that may arise during the surgical procedure. That’s why we have such cases,” said Dr Arun Gupta, president of Delhi Medical Council. “We need a guideline on who can perform hair transplant and the pre-requisite infrastructure for it.” He added that the Delhi government had been working on a Bill to regulate clinical establishments across the capital.
Dr Swaroop Singh Gambhir, senior consultant of plastic and cosmetic surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said hair transplant was a surgical procedure requiring more than four hours per sitting. “It should be conducted only in dedicated nursing homes or hospitals,” he said, adding people also should be made aware to choose the right place and professional.