MALACCA: The Health Ministry will not consider extending the deadline to ban the commercial use of "ozone therapy" machines in the country.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said this was because an assessment by the ministry's Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Unit has confirmed that there was no scientific evidence to support any therapeutic benefits from the therapy.
"This (banning of the use of ozone therapy) is not a thing where you phase out and all that, because when we say something is wrong, then it is wrong.
"How can I say you can do the wrong thing for six months, and then at the seventh month, you cannot do it (anymore).
"When I say wrong today, means it's wrong today. That's about it," Dr Subramaniam told reporters at the 8th Health Clinic Advisory Panel Convention in Mahkota Hotel here, today.
He was asked to comment if there would be a grace period following his announcement on the blanket ban on the commercial use of "ozone therapy" machines in the country.
Yesterday, Subramaniam said that business premises including clinics and beauty parlours offering ozonetheraphy must shut down their operations by July 1.
He, however, said that ozonetheraphy operators who wish to continue such business should present their machines with scientific evidence, which would be subjected to the ministry's approval.
"If they can bring scientific evidence and it is accepted by our technical committee and experts in the ministry, then we will accept them.
"A machine must be registered and this is the process that all medical machines used in this country underwent." he said.