Colombia authorities warn against illegal ‘garage clinics’

Health authorities in Colombia are issuing urgent warnings against ‘garage clinics’—unauthorized establishments performing invasive aesthetic procedures. In Nariño, Ana Belén Arteaga, director of the Departmental Institute of Health, emphasized that such clandestine operations pose severe risks, including infections, anesthesia overdoses, hemorrhages, and thromboembolisms.

Authorities urge citizens to verify that all medical interventions are conducted in institutions registered with the Reps and by professionals accredited in the Rethus. This follows incidents in Pasto where patients suffered complications after seeking services in unauthorized residential settings.

In Bogotá, a case involving a woman from Ubaté has highlighted the dangers of these practices. After undergoing a ‘gold’ lipolysis procedure in an unauthorized clinic in Usaquén, the patient suffered a multi-resistant bacterial infection that lasted ten months and required intensive antibiotic treatment. The complications led to hair and tooth loss. Following this incident, the Gaula Militar conducted an operation that resulted in arrests and the discovery of falsified medical diplomas intended to deceive the Colombian Medical College.