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The Department of Health (DH) today (September 6) provided the latest update on its investigation into the suspected cases of Cushing's syndrome and other adverse effects affecting patients who have a history of receiving acupuncture or other treatment provided by registered Chinese medicine practitioner (CMP) Ma Siu-wing.
A DH spokesman said that the DH has identified one more case through the hotline 2125 1133 for related public enquiries. It took the total number of suspected cases related to this CMP to 14 so far.
The latest case is a 52-year-old man who had a past history of receiving acupuncture treatment from the CMP concerned for the management of his skin condition before the onset of the Cushingoid features. He was subsequently diagnosed as having adrenal insufficiency by his doctor. Investigation revealed that there was no apparent source of the high-dose exogenous steroid received by him during the course of acupuncture treatment by the CMP.
The patient and his attending doctor have been contacted by the DH for detailed medical histories, drug histories and relevant laboratory results for further investigation.
The spokesman appealed to patrons of CMP Ma Siu-wing who are uncertain about their suspected adverse events or who are feeling unwell to contact the DH via the hotline 2125 1133, or to consult health-care professionals for advice as an alternative.
"Up to 4.30pm today, our hotline 2125 1133 has received 148 enquiries from members of the public since it was set up in the evening of August 23. Ninety-five callers claimed that they had received acupuncture treatment from the CMP concerned," the spokesman said.
"The DH will follow up the cases with individual callers and continue to monitor developments closely," he added.
Ends/Thursday, September 6, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:13
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