Eight more clinics suspended for 6 months over alleged privacy violations

Taipei, May 15 (CNA) Five Airlee aesthetic clinics in Taipei and New Taipei, along with two Saint Eir clinics and one Dr. Shine clinic in Taichung, have been ordered to suspend services for six months over alleged hidden-camera offenses, local officials said Friday.

New Taipei's Department of Health said it confirmed with prosecutors that three branches of Airlee aesthetic clinics in Xinzhuang, Linkou and Yonghe districts had concealed surveillance equipment in treatment and operating rooms where patients were secretly filmed.

The conduct was deemed a serious breach of Article 108 of the Medical Care Act, which bans improper practices that are obscene or endanger human health, the department said, citing a decision made at a consultative meeting on Wednesday.

The department said the clinics deliberately engaged in grave offenses and were ordered to pay a NT$500,000 fine each, with their operations suspended until Nov. 14.

Airlee Group Co., Ltd. Chairman Chang Ju-shan (常如山) was questioned by prosecutors on May 6 and then held incommunicado.

The investigation into the chain, which operates 18 outlets nationwide, followed a May 2 Threads post in which a customer said she noticed a ceiling device resembling a smoke detector while changing in a treatment room at Airlee's Banqiao branch.

According to the department, the Banqiao branch's surveillance footage has been deleted and is currently being recovered by prosecutors.

• 3 formally detained for alleged cosmetic surgery privacy violations

Once full evidence is obtained, Airlee's Banqiao branch will also be fined NT$500,000 and ordered to suspend operations for six months, the department said.

The Taipei City Government has also ordered two Airlee branches in Da'an and Zhongshan districts to suspend operations for six months over the same offenses and fined each NT$500,000, the city's Department of Health said Friday.

Meanwhile, the Da'an branch was also fined NT$250,000 for violating official fee regulations by setting unauthorized charges.

The reports on Airlee's Banqiao branch triggered investigations that have since spread to other clinics and branches nationwide.

On Thursday, two branches of the Airlee aesthetic clinic chain in Kaohsiung were ordered to suspend medical services for six months over multiple violations, including the alleged unauthorized filming of patients.

• Kaohsiung suspends 2 Airlee clinics over alleged privacy violations

In Taichung, the health department found that two Saint Eir clinic branches had installed cameras, including pinhole devices, in treatment areas in violation of regulations, Director of the city's Health Bureau Tseng Tzu-chan (曾梓展) said Friday.

One Dr. Shine clinic was found to have secretly recorded patients' medical images without consent, with 23 video clips discovered in treatment and laser rooms, Tseng said.

The three clinics in Taichung were each fined NT$500,000 and ordered to suspend operations for six months, according to Tseng.