Health department officials, accompanied by drug-control and police personnel, raided rooms at a five-star hotel on Richmond Road in Bengaluru on Thursday and found weight-loss beauty treatments being offered in violation of regulations, according to the department. The action followed a complaint from the Bengaluru chapter of the Indian Association of Dermatologists.
Officials said the team recovered weight-loss tablets, collagen products marketed as dietary supplements and other supplementary products during the inspection. Empty boxes of Lipo Lab PPC injections, described as fat-dissolving injections reserved for medical use, were also found.
The department said the boxes did not carry the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation import or manufacturing licence number required on such products. The discovery has prompted an investigation into the medical qualifications and registrations of the people conducting the treatment, as well as the source of the products.
Officials said further action would be taken under the law if regulatory violations were confirmed. The department has not announced the identities of the operators or specified whether any patients received injections at the hotel.
Health Minister U.T. Khader urged residents to undergo injections or other medical procedures only at registered hospitals or clinics and through qualified doctors. He also asked people to report similar activities to the health department.
The enforcement action highlights the difficulty of regulating cosmetic and wellness services when medical procedures are offered outside conventional clinical settings. The department’s warning specifically covered beauty treatments conducted in hotels, homes and temporary camps, where the location may not itself indicate whether the service is licensed or medically supervised.
In a separate action, food-safety officials inspected the juice counter at PVR INOX in Forum Mall at Konanakunte Cross after receiving a complaint about the cups being used to serve customers. The inspection found violations of food-safety rules, following which the establishment was issued a notice and the juice counter was closed.
Khader said food-safety rules would apply equally to large brands and small shops. He said customers could report unhygienic food, packaging or distribution practices to the Food Safety Department, adding that each complaint would be examined. The health department’s investigation into the hotel treatment operation and the food-safety department’s notice to the cinema outlet are the next formal steps disclosed in the report.
