Sydney woman linked to harmful unregistered botox injections ordered to stop

A woman accused of hospitalising three people with unregistered cosmetic injections has been ordered to stop.

A NSW woman suspected of giving unregistered botox injections under various aliases has been banned from administering any procedures.

The Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) issued a temporary prohibition order on Friday, barring Norsafiza Binti Zakaria from providing any health service for eight weeks.

The ban comes after three women were hospitalised in two weeks across Sydney with suspected botulism, where toxins weaken muscles to the point where breathing can stop. It is rare but can be fatal.

A Sydney woman was placed in intensive care for a suspected case of botulism earlier this month. Another suspected case and a further confirmed case have been linked to injections at the same Sydney house. All three women were injected with purported anti-wrinkle substances by Ms Zakaria.

Norsafiza Binti Zakaria has been known to use aliases.

The commission alleges Ms Zakaria advertises botox injections on social media, including WhatsApp, and administers the substances at homes in NSW and Victoria despite having no health practitioner’s registration.

On Friday, NSW Health published the interim prohibition order against Ms Zakaria. The order bars her from providing, or causing to be provided, any health service, including cosmetic procedures or any procedures involving skin penetration.

The order “is required to protect public health and safety whilst an investigation into a complaint is conducted”, a NSW Health spokesperson said.

The investigation is in the early stages and involves multiple agencies, so authorities will not speculate on which laws, rules or penalties Ms Zakaria may be liable to.

However, the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission can make referrals to the Director of Public Prosecutions and NSW Police.

In NSW, non-registered health practitioners can be subject to permanent prohibition orders.

“Depending on the outcomes of our investigation, other agencies in NSW or Victoria may also take further action under their respective legislative powers,” a Health Care Complaints Commission spokesman told NewsWire.

NSW Health authorities suspect she has been injecting botox.

As per the temporary prohibition order, Ms Zakaria also cannot “provide or cause to be provided any health service using any other name or alias to which Ms Norsafiza Binti Zakaria has been known to use or may adopt in the future, including Natasha Scha, Zakaria Scha, Natasha Ismail, Scha Zakaria, Scha Natasha and Scha Zakaria Beauty Spa”.

The HCCC has the power to extend the eight-week ban until a full investigation is done.

This prohibition order applies in both NSW and Victoria.

Symptoms of botulism can take up to two weeks to show up after being injected. Symptoms include progressive weakness, difficulty swallowing, drooping eyelids, blurred or double vision and difficulty breathing.

“In this particular case, investigations are continuing, but we want people to be aware of the symptoms of botulism as others could have been exposed,” NSW Health executive director health protection Jeremy McAnulty, said earlier this week.

“Cosmetic injections, if used incorrectly, could result in serious harm and even death in the most serious of cases,” Dr McAnulty said.

“Botulism, although rare, can be fatal, which is why it is so important that anyone receiving cosmetic injections does so under the supervision of an appropriately registered health practitioner.”

Originally published as Sydney woman linked to harmful unregistered botox injections ordered to stop