Tribunal finds this medical practitioner guilty after his patient's death. What happened?

As the old adage says, health is wealth.

Aussies, especially seniors, need to keep an eye on their health with regular check-ups.

While alternative medicine also saw a rise in popularity, a tragic case should serve as a stark reminder of the potential dangers of foregoing conventional healthcare consultations.


Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner Yun Sen Luo was found guilty of professional misconduct after a diabetic woman died under his care.

The Sydney-based practitioner advised the woman to cease all 'Western medicine', which led to her death.

The incident sent shockwaves through the community, particularly among those who balance their health between traditional and modern medical practices.


compressed-pexels-alternative medicine.jpeg
Alternative medicine should go hand-in-hand with science-backed modern medicine. Image Credit: Pexels/Nataliya Vaitkevich


The patient, referred to as Person A, was a 57-year-old Chinese national visiting her daughter in Australia.

Her daughter, referred to as Person B, was a patient of Yun Sen Luo and sought medication for her psoriasis.

Person A had type 2 diabetes at the time of her visit.


The New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal received several accounts about the woman's experience with Yun Sen Luo.

During Person A's initial consultation on 26 May 2018, Luo failed to gather vital information about her health.

The language barrier also played a factor in her condition, as all communication with Luo was in Mandarin.

Instead of receiving complementary care, Luo instructed her to abandon her prescribed diabetes medication.

As the days passed, Person A's condition worsened, and Person B desperately sought advice from Luo through an online messaging platform called WeChat.


Despite the woman's alarming symptoms—including constant nausea, weakness, dizziness, and eventual collapse—Luo continued to prescribe traditional Chinese remedies such as soups, juices, and fruit without recommending urgent medical attention.

Person A dropped and stopped breathing on 8 June.

Despite the efforts of her family to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead at the hospital later that afternoon.

The tribunal's decision indicated that Person A's life might have been saved with proper medical care.

Luo's registration was suspended on 27 June 2018.

While he was not guilty of manslaughter in a separate criminal trial, the tribunal's findings of professional misconduct underscore the importance of adhering to the principles of risk minimisation.

He also broke the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia's Code of Conduct.


Yun Sen Luo's case raised critical questions about the integration of traditional and Western medicine and the practitioners' responsibilities toward safe and informed care.

Public health expert Prof Jon Wardle emphasised that while traditional knowledge is a valid form of practice, it should not dismiss established medical science.

General Practitioner Dr Mariam Tokhi urged patients to verify healthcare advice with their GP when consulting traditional medicine practitioners.

This could be a cautionary tale, especially to those exploring alternative medical treatments.

Always communicate with your healthcare providers and ensure that any changes to prescribed medication or treatment plans are done with proper guidance and care.
Key Takeaways

  • A Sydney-based traditional Chinese medicine practitioner was found guilty of professional misconduct after a diabetic woman died through his advice.
  • The tribunal prosecuted Yun Sen Luo after he advised a diabetic woman to stop all 'Western medicine', which led to her death.
  • The New South Wales civil and administrative tribunal heard evidence of a failure in care, including not obtaining a sufficient health history.
  • Yun Sen Luo's registration was suspended on 27 June 2018 after he broke the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia's Code of Conduct.
What are your thoughts on alternative medical practices? We encourage you to share your thoughts and experiences with both traditional and Western medicine in the comments below.
 

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Very sad that this lady died but to blame it on her lack of traditional western medical care is false. Look at our health care system, it is designed ti treat,NOT CURE because if it cures people, there would be less visits to the doctors ie: less money coming in. On a personal note, myself at 76 years of age and only less than 10 visits (doctors/ hospitals) in my life, I am quite healthy. As the "convid" scam was starting and finding out that doctors were not warning their patients about the dangers of this jab ( doctors threatened by AHPRA not say anything) FOIA can be provided proving this statement, I told my doctor that I no longer using his services. Research my statement about AHPRA/TGA and you will be surprised.
 
Very sad that this lady died but to blame it on her lack of traditional western medical care is false. Look at our health care system, it is designed ti treat,NOT CURE because if it cures people, there would be less visits to the doctors ie: less money coming in. On a personal note, myself at 76 years of age and only less than 10 visits (doctors/ hospitals) in my life, I am quite healthy. As the "convid" scam was starting and finding out that doctors were not warning their patients about the dangers of this jab ( doctors threatened by AHPRA not say anything) FOIA can be provided proving this statement, I told my doctor that I no longer using his services. Research my statement about AHPRA/TGA and you will be surprised.
The lady had Type2 Diabetes, is there a CURE for that? If so, please tell me!
 
Very sad that this lady died but to blame it on her lack of traditional western medical care is false. Look at our health care system, it is designed ti treat,NOT CURE because if it cures people, there would be less visits to the doctors ie: less money coming in. On a personal note, myself at 76 years of age and only less than 10 visits (doctors/ hospitals) in my life, I am quite healthy. As the "convid" scam was starting and finding out that doctors were not warning their patients about the dangers of this jab ( doctors threatened by AHPRA not say anything) FOIA can be provided proving this statement, I told my doctor that I no longer using his services. Research my statement about AHPRA/TGA and you will be surprised.
What a stupid statement. Some things just cannot be cured.
Your body may be healthy for 76 years of age, but there's definitely something wrong with your thought processes.
 
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You are supposed to advise any "medical" professional of all medication -prescription or other including natural remedies. Many GPs don't mind if you combine them. Sometimes adjustments may be needed to stop interaction or render treatment useless or toxic.
 
I am a type 2 diabetic let’s face it there is no cure but professional care is at hand I was prescribed
With medication on the lowest dose possible however it did not agree with me so when I rang
Up my Surgery and spoke to a Doctor he advised me to stop it immediately all I do is watch what I eat/drink and exercise one can only do their best .
 
A very strange story with some glaring anomalies.

Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner Yun Sen Luo was found guilty of professional misconduct after a diabetic woman died under his care.

The patient, referred to as Person A, was a 57-year-old Chinese national visiting her daughter in Australia.

The language barrier also played a factor in her condition, as all communication with Luo was in Mandarin.

So, one Chinese person cannot talk to another Chinese person? The only way this would happen is if one spoke Mandarin and the other Cantonese. These languages are not mutually intelligible.

He also broke the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia's Code of Conduct.

What? Like naturopaths and other "alternative medicine" groups, they are self governing and open to little scrutiny. Next stop? The Australian Practicing Withchdoctors' Board?
 
After being diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis 30 years ago, I opted to go the holistic route for pain relief. Spent plenty of $$s on appointments, external lotions, internal potions, changes in diet, acupuncture, and other alternative treatments. Nothing helped and after awhile, I was advised to see a rheumatologist.

It took a couple of years of “trial and error”, and although I have negative effects from that time, I rely on my rheumatologist and the chemical / biological drugs for the relief I feel and a “normal” life.

Saying that, allopathy and homeopathy can sometimes work hand-in-hand. Our bodies let us know if something is or is not working.
 
It`s like everything, you can have good or bad outcomes with modern medicine and alternative medical treatment. A lot will depend on the type of illness and the experience of the practioner. I have had some excellent results with accupuncture and remedial massage for my stiff joints and pains. I had a chronic throat and sinuss condition when much younger and was treated by a naturopath and it was cured. The same with modern medicine, pain is usually managed with heavy duty drugs that don`t always work and have severe side effects. The throat condition was about to be quarterized until I found the naturopath.

Right now I do not have access to any alternative practioner that I would recommend and I wish I did, because although I have a great medical Doctor I am not convinced about the success of his recommended treatments. It seems like it is either an operation, removal or long drawn out medication.
 
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In our modern world of today we have evidence based medicine. There is no such thing as alternative medicine, it is called complementary medicine, which are therapies that can be used to complement prescribed medicine. Hard to get that concept into some peoples brains..
 
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I am a type 2 diabetic let’s face it there is no cure but professional care is at hand I was prescribed
With medication on the lowest dose possible however it did not agree with me so when I rang
Up my Surgery and spoke to a Doctor he advised me to stop it immediately all I do is watch what I eat/drink and exercise one can only do their best .
My partner has now been put on Ozempic for his type two diabetes and it's going really well for him.
 
In our modern world of today we have evidence based medicine. There is no such thing as alternative medicine, it is called complementary medicine, which are therapies that can be used to complement prescribed medicine. Hard to get that concept into some peoples brains..
Umm....no.

A complementary therapy means you can use it alongside your conventional medical treatment. It may help you to feel better and cope better with your treatment.

An alternative therapy is generally used instead of medical treatment and has no scientific or medical evidence in their efficacy.

They are the definitions used by the UK Cancer Council.
 
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The lady had Type2 Diabetes, is there a CURE for that? If so, please tell me!
Cure? Not sure, but I had type 2, lost weight and started exercises and managed to reduce medication. Five yrs down the track I’m off all medications and just eat sensibly. No need to do further testing - everything is fine now.
 
In our modern world of today we have evidence based medicine. There is no such thing as alternative medicine, it is called complementary medicine, which are therapies that can be used to complement prescribed medicine. Hard to get that concept into some peoples brains..
 
Alternative medicine practices do have a place but not at the risk of putting your life in danger. This practitioner should have told her to check with her physician before following his advice. My condolences to the family on their sudden loss
 
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