(Montreal) A fake acupuncturist whose clientele may have been infected with hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV is the subject of an investigation by the Montreal Regional Public Health Department. Individuals who have used its services are called upon to carry out preventive screening.
Customers of Dashdorj Bayasgalan, also known under the pseudonym Dr Ba, could have been exposed to potentially contaminated acupuncture needles, cups or syringes.
The investigation by the Montreal Regional Public Health Directorate (DRSP) follows a report from the Order of Acupuncturists of Quebec (OAQ) concerning the illegal practice of Mr. Bayasgalan.
According to the results of the investigation, the man, who practiced in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce district, did not respect practices relating to hygiene and asepsis.
“What was described to us is that the individual was potentially reusing the same needles on several people,” said the DD Geneviève Cadieux, deputy medical head of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases sector at the DRSP of Montreal.
Additionally, dirty needles could come into contact with sterile needles, posing a risk of cross-contamination.
The use of suction cups was also problematic – blood could accumulate in them without them being sterilized between clients.
As a preventive measure, the Montreal Regional Public Health Department recommends that Mr. Bayasgalan’s clients be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, even without the presence of symptoms.
Indeed, a person may have been infected without showing symptoms for years. “Even if it is asymptomatic, it can also transmit the infection to others,” said the DD Cadieux.
At present, the OAQ does not report any confirmed cases of patients infected after using the services of Mr. Bayasgalan.
“However, we proceed quickly when this type of event occurs in order to protect the population as effectively as possible,” underlined the president of the OAQ, Maxime Deshaies.
He points out that it is possible to check if an acupuncturist is a member of the Order by consulting the directory on its website.
“Mr Bayasgalan is not a member of the Order and never has been. He was therefore prohibited from holding the title of acupuncturist, from practicing acupuncture or from suggesting that he could practice acupuncture, he added. All individuals illegally practicing acupuncture or illegally holding the title of acupuncturist are identified thanks to the reports we receive or following the monitoring of our illegal practice investigation department. »