From news of the weird

[Homicidalheathen]

A WOMAN died after a Stirling "doctor" gave her a bogus cancer cure, a parliamentary committee heard yesterday.

The Social Development Committee hearing into unregistered and deregistered doctors took evidence from Shirley O'Donnell, whose daughter Shannon died 36 days after receiving "ozone treatment", in 2003, from a man known as Lubo Bitelco.

Ms O'Donnell was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003 and went to Mr Bitelco after hearing from a friend about his treatments.

He promised her a "50 per cent cure" after giving her a treatment known as "vaginal blowing" during which she had to move up and down on the bed saying "Oh, Boy", Mrs O'Donnell said.

The committee heard he then offered to continue the treatment for almost $10,000, showing her albums and videos of previous clients.

"Shannon . . . told me he had an album of women patients whom he photographed nude, and she had advised Lubo she would not be photographed nude while being treated," Mrs O'Donnell said.

Ozone treatment is an alternative treatment that was widely condemned by experts after six Australians were found to have died from it in 2006.

It usually involves administering ozone in gas form.

The coroner found Ms O'Donnell had died from sepsis and that it was unclear whether the infection was from the treatment or whether the cancer was responsible.

Mrs O'Donnell said she understood Mr Bitelco was still practising, however, he was not able to be located or contacted yesterday by The Advertiser.

"I hope something is going to be done to stop him," she said.

"I can't do anything about Shannon (but) I would like the police to do something about him and his methods."

The case was referred to the police and to the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner, but Mrs O'Donnell said it was still not resolved.

Meanwhile, the Australian Traditional Medicine Society told the committee it would like to see all bogus doctors "named and shamed".

ATMS policy adviser Raymond Khoury said quackery was an "insidious social problem" and called for an expansion of the HCSC commission's role so it had the power to expose people offering fraudulent cures.