Beware Unlicensed Clinics

The cause of the death of an 18-month-old girl after back-room treatment in Tustin is yet to be determined, but the case has prompted officials to warn against smuggled prescription drugs and injections by unlicensed providers.

It’s common in Latin America to receive injections for some maladies that would be treated differently elsewhere. So it’s not surprising that immigrants bring the custom with them to Southern California. Last week Selene Segura Rios died two hours after receiving what her parents were told was a penicillin injection, delivered in the back room of a toy store. The family’s regular doctor was unavailable and the girl did not seem ill enough for an emergency room visit. No charges have been filed.

The tragedy shows the need for a revived education campaign. After a 13-month-old boy died last year after receiving injections from a would-be doctor at a Santa Ana storefront clinic, a coalition was formed to warn Latino immigrants about the dangers of unlicensed medical care. At the time, the Santa Ana Safe Medicine Coalition limited its efforts to that community. A wider campaign is needed.

Health professionals should speak at community events, distribute fliers and provide taped public service announcements about the availability of free or low-cost health care and about the dangers of treatment by the unlicensed.

U.S. Customs agents report large quantities of prescription drugs being smuggled into the United States from Mexico. Health care officials say some do not contain the drugs indicated on the labels.

Some immigrants use unauthorized clinics because they are unaware that low-cost care is available or, if they are here illegally, out of fear of calling attention to themselves. Others prefer neighborhood healers who speak their language. Still, laws prohibiting the practice of medicine in unlicensed clinics are needed and just. They must be enforced.