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Acupuncture clinic can reopen, Fraser Health says

The Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Centre was closed after an inspection turned up questionable health practices
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The Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine clinic on McCallum Road is the subject of a 'closure order' from Fraser Health.

An Abbotsford acupuncture clinic closed earlier this month after an investigation will be allowed to re-open once it meets a series of conditions set by the Fraser Health Authority (FHA).

The Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Centre, operated by Duan (Deborah) Hu on McCallum Road, was closed earlier this month after a joint investigation by FHA and the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia (CTCMA) revealed several problems, including irregularly changed sheets, poor record keeping, a lack of a regular cleaning schedule and the improper storage of needles. Those needles were stored in open receptacles and had expired in 2006. Investigators could not confirm new needles were being used.

FHA medical health officer Dr. Michelle Murti says the clinic has been re-inspected and a public order has been amended to allow Hu to resume operations as long as she: is licenced and in good standing by the CTCMA; has fixed the health issues previously identified; begun to properly document patients and waste and sharps disposal; and complied with the ongoing FHA investigation.

"Further inspections will be conducted to ensure compliance with the amended order," Murti said in a press release. "Ensuring the public's safety and well-being is our primary concern."

To return to good standing with the CTCMA, which regulates acupuncturists in B.C., Hu will have to complete many of the same tasks and provide proof she is not carrying, and has been immunized against, Hepatitis B.