Chinese herbalist on manslaughter charges for treatment of diabetic patient
A CHINESE herbal medicine practitioner charged with the manslaughter of a patient he had only been treating for three months has been granted bail – but not before a magistrate made a comment about “dressed up quackery”.
NSW
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A CHINESE herbal medicine practitioner charged with the manslaughter of a patient he had only been treating for three months has been granted bail — but not before a magistrate made a comment about “dressed up quackery”.
Yun Sen Luo ran with his face covered, wearing a big puffer jacket, after he was released from Hornsby Police Station this afternoon and refused to answer questions about his treatment of Chaun Ying Xia, who died on June 8.
Police set up a special strike force to investigate Luo, of Baulkham Hills, following the death of the 56-year-old who had diabetes.
Following a post-mortem examination, police yesterday arrested 52-year-old Luo, a registered Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner who is listed as having his principal place of practice in Burwood.
He was charged on with manslaughter, accused of causing Ms Xia’s death through “gross negligence”. It is alleged he told the grandmother-of-three to stop taking all medication.
He had been treating Ms Xia for diabetes since her arrival in Australia in March.
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According to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency website Luo was first registered as a Chinese Medical Practitioner in 2013.
He had completed a Bachelor of Health Science Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2012 and speaks Cantonese, Chinese and Mandarin.
His registration was suspended by the Chinese Medical Council on June 27, weeks after Ms Xia’s death.
The council then referred the matter to the Health Care Complaints Commission.
Initially Luo’s lawyer Patrick Pagin did not apply for bail when Luo’s matter was heard at Hornsby Local Court and it was formally refused.
However he returned to court a short time later where he asked the Magistrate Daniel Reiss to reconsider.
The prosecution did not oppose bail if Luo abided by a list of stringent conditions including that he undertake not to practice, consult or offer advice on medical matters.
Magistrate Daniel Reiss then said: “In regards to medical matters it is dressed up quackery isn’t it?”
The prosecutor answered: “That is one view”.
The court heard that Luo had lived in Australia for 28 years, had a mortgage on a house and had no criminal history.
The prosecution case is described as being “very strong”.
Court documents allege that he “has shown no remorse for the victim or their family to police at all”.
“The victim’s family would be very wary if the accused was given bail for the safety of other people,” police bail documents said.
Luo will now have to report to Castle Hill Police Station three times a week, surrender his passport, not enter any international airport and reside at his Baulkham Hills home.
He is also not to engage in any activities as a Chinese Medical Practitioner.
In addition to the police investigation, the Health Care Complaints Commission confirmed this morning that it was “investigating a complaint about Dr Yun Sen Luo”.
“The Commission is unable to provide further comment as it does not wish to prejudice or compromise the current investigation,” a spokesman said.