Clients of Chinese medicine clinic in Richmond Hill advised to get tested for HIV, hepatitis

York Region health officials are asking clients who received certain services at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic in Richmond Hill over the last several years to get tested for blood-borne infections as a precaution.

The warning comes after an investigation into Huai Kui Xu TCM Clinic identified “inadequate infection prevention and control practices,” according to a news release issued Tuesday.

The release says York Region inspected the clinic on June 7 after being made aware of “health concerns.” 

Inspectors discovered the clinic was not properly cleaning or sterilizing the devices used for wet cupping, according to the news release. They also found the clinic was re-using single-use micro-needle and derma roller devices on multiple clients.

Wet cupping is a form of therapy that uses suction cups to pull on punctured skin in order to draw out blood and other bodily fluids. Micro-needle rollers or derma rollers are devices with small, fine needles that are rolled over the skin to make tiny holes in order to stimulate healing and collagen production.

Health officials say although the risk to clients is low, they are advising anyone who received these services at the clinic between Oct. 1, 2015 and June 7, 2023 to get tested by their family doctor, nurse practitioner or at a walk-in clinic.

“Clients may have been exposed to blood-borne infections,” the release says. “As a precaution, clients who received one or more of these services at this clinic should seek medical follow-up and be tested for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).”

The clinic operator has been ordered to stop performing “services of concern,” and currently can only provide assessments and Chinese herbal medicine treatments, according to the news release.

The release says the public notification was issued because the clinic had “inadequate client documentation practices” so the region is unable to follow up with clients directly.

The region says health professionals must follow infection prevention and control practices set out by their respective colleges. 

“The clinic will be reinspected to ensure all the conditions in the order have been met and services may resume once the operator has gained full compliance,” the release says.