Entangled in the scandal commonly referred to as the “cosmetic cowboys”, a cosmetic surgery clinic, Hawthorn Day Surgery Pty Ltd, also known as Cosmos Clinic in Melbourne, is now entering liquidation, as revealed in a recent court hearing. The company was supposed to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last Wednesday, but failed to make an appearance.
Facing charges for allegedly continuing to operate surgeries during Melbourne’s lockdowns in defiance of health officer directives, the company and Dr Reza Ahmadi, one of its directors, are currently under scrutiny. The court was informed that the process of closing down Hawthorn Day Surgery had commenced and that liquidators had been assigned in June.
Despite being prohibited from indulgence in cosmetic surgery by the medical regulatory body in April the previous year, Dr Ahmadi was present in court, backed by his lawyer. The lawyer informed the court about the mounting case against his client, with the evidence, originally a 161-page brief, now boasting over 4000 pages of material. Owing to the abundance of new material, an adjournment for review was requested by the lawyer and approved by magistrate Rosemary Falla.
According to official communication on the Cosmos Clinic website, Dr Ahmadi was appointed as the medical director at Melbourne’s branch in 2019 and operated it between February 2021 and January 2022. The head office of Cosmos Aesthetics in Sydney was oblivious to the fact that Dr Ahmadi was allegedly operating during the COVID lockdown in Melbourne.
Once this revelation came to light, the head office of Cosmos Aesthetics began an internal investigation. It was during this inquiry that they reportedly discovered alleged poor medical practices. These findings, coupled with public safety concerns, led to the swift termination of Dr Ahmadi’s employment with Cosmos.
Dr Ahmadi currently resides in the outskirts of southwestern Melbourne suburb of Werribee where he practices as a general practitioner. Meanwhile, Cosmos Clinic is under the threat of two class-action lawsuits initiated by law firms Maddens Lawyers and Goldman & Co, who acknowledge receiving multiple patient complaints.
The cosmetic surgery industry came under severe criticism last year following a range of exposés by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, and 60 Minutes. Health Minister Mark Butler declared a crackdown stating, “These cosmetic cowboys have been riding unchecked for years. Australians deserve to have confidence in the safety and quality of the cosmetic surgery industry, and these changes will provide that.”
The saga continues for both Hawthorn Day Surgery Pty Ltd and Dr Ahmadi as they are slated to reappear in court this December.
