Dr Rastogi as he appeared on the cover on The Sydney Weekender
I am being sued for defamation with malice (which I deny) by high profile GP cosmetic surgeon, Dr Anoop Rastogi, who is well known to viewers of Mornings with Kerri-Anne.
Dr Rastogi is a member of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS).
Like Dr Rastogi most members of the ACCS are GP's.
Some may be dermatologists, ENT's or other. A few are plastic surgeons.
The ACCS, in and of itself, is not accredited with the Australian Medical Council (AMC) although its indivdual constituents will be, whether as GP's, dermatologists and so on.
The AMC is the only body nationally which is authorised to accredit medical training on behalf of the Federal Government.
Medical training and accreditation provided by the ACCS is not accredited by the AMC; it is not recognised specialist training.
Dr Rastogi sues me, amongst other things, for comments I have published in relation to certain documents in the public domain, including comments I have made in relation to the remarks of the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes MLC, speaking on 'Dr Rastogi and Cosmetic Surgery Regulation' in the NSW Parliament.
In a move which I support, Dr Moyes has also recently called for the exclusion of GP's, from the practice of cosmetic surgery, and stated his view that Plastic Surgeons are the medics best placed to undertake cosmetic surgery.
Controversially to many, GP's and other non-Plastic Surgeons are legally entitled to describe themselves as cosmetic surgeons and perform invasive cosmetic procedures such as breast implantation and liposuction which the CHOICE consumer group has recently identified as one of the most dangerous forms of cosmetic surgery.
The ACCS disputes the idea that Plastic Surgeons are best placed to perform cosmetic surgery, and claims that its training programs and codes of practice are high quality, denying any inferiority as practitioners of cosmetic surgery, where its members are concerned.
The ACCS currently seeks endorsements with the AMC and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
I am subject to an interim injunction whilst the Court processes Dr Rastogi's complaints about my publications.
I am defending my publications.
None of the above should be taken to express any opinion whatsoever regarding Dr Rastogi's individual competence as a practitioner of cosmetic surgery.
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