The Ministry of Health on Saturday called on health authorities nationwide to step up supervision of the country's medical cosmetology industry following the death of two people during cosmetic procedures.

The funeral of Wang Bei, a former talent show contestant who died during a facial bone-grinding surgery on Nov 15, was held in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, on Sunday. The health bureau of Wuhan's Jiang'an district claimed the 24-year-old died due to anesthetic complications during the surgery. However, Wang Liangming, Wang's attending surgeon, said the surgery was successful and the girl died of an unexpected heart problem two hours after the operation, according to a report in the Yangtze Evening News on Saturday.

The Ministry of Health said on its website over the weekend that it has asked the provincial health department to verify the facts and "to make the results of the investigation public as soon as possible".

The health authorities of Hubei province and Wuhan city on Sunday sent a special team to the Zhong'ao Cosmetic Surgery Hospital, where Wang died, for further investigation.

Ma Xiaowei, vice-minister of health, told Beijing News that in recent years, medical cosmetology has been plagued by malpractices and accidents due to insufficient supervision by the government.

Wang's uncle, a lawyer surnamed Liu, said Wang's family had agreed to the compensation offered by the hospital. However, he did not reveal the exact amount.

Wang's mother, who also went under the knife for the same procedure on the same day as Wang, has not confirmed the statement.

Just two days before the death of Wang, who participated in Super Girl, a popular talent show on TV in 2005, a 48-year-old woman died of suffocation after undergoing a cosmetic procedure at Rongjun Hospital in Beijing, Beijing News reported on Saturday.

The demand for plastic surgery in China is increasing rapidly, with many seeing beauty as a ticket to a happy life, which includes a successful career and a healthy romantic relationship.

Zhao, a 23-year-old student at the Beijing International Studies University, spent 3,000 yuan (US$450) on an eyelid tuck before graduating this year.

"Of course I want to look prettier. I want to make a good impression on potential employers," Zhao said.

In some extreme but rare cases, some people become addicted to cosmetic procedures, Tian Chenghua, deputy director at the psychological counseling center of Peking University Sixth Hospital, said.

(China Daily November 29, 2010)