‘Gross violation’: Fake cosmetic doctor convicted

Aliaa Mohammed Elmetwally Ismaeli Sherif pleaded guilty to 10 charges under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law at the Ringwood Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The court was told Sherif operated a cosmetic clinic using the names Feel Young Again and The Good Life Anti-Ageing in Wheelers Hill in Melbourne’s southeast.

She was charged with falsely claiming to be a medical practitioner and a haematology specialist between April 2018 and May 2019.

She pleaded guilty to giving medical advice during media interviews, injecting patients with dermal fillers and Botox, providing medical advice to a patient, providing unapproved antibiotics and producing and relying on a fraudulent registration certificate when trying to establish her business.

Sherif had never been registered as a medical practitioner with the Medical Board of Australia, the court was told.

Magistrate Jan MacLean slammed Sherif’s offending as “very serious” and noted she continued to break the law even after the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) issued a cease and desist letter.

She went on to treat another patient, piercing her lip and causing bleeding and pain, the court was told.

“It is clear that she (Sherif) does not fully appreciate the significance of her actions and the danger she posed to the public,” Ms MacLean said.

‘The offending in my view is very serious and could properly be described as wilful, planned and not as a result of any misunderstanding.”

The court was told a woman who received cosmetic treatment from Sherif under the guise she was a registered medical practitioner suffered “adverse reactions” as a result.

“For a long time, after her treatment, my daily activities and vitality were badly impacted to a certain point where I felt depressed, lost my appetite and good health, and felt hopeless,” the woman whose identity was concealed said.

“For a couple of days I could not eat at all, could not even brush my teeth.

“Once I had to stop my teaching class as I could not speak properly because of the condition of my face and lips.”

Ahpra chief executive Martin Fletcher described the offending as a “gross violation” of patient trust.

“Patients rightly expect they are being treated by properly qualified and registered practitioners,” he said.

“We will not hesitate to prosecute anyone who falsely claims to be registered in order to protect public safety.”

anthony.piovesan@news.com.au