Cardiologist takes to TikTok to raise concerns on hyperbaric therapy, following fatal Troy explosion
(CBS DETROIT) - A viral TikTok video is raising the alarm about safety and regulatory procedures at facilities that administer hyperbaric therapy treatments.
This comes after the tragedy that took place in Troy last week, when five-year-old Thomas Cooper lost his life when a hyperbaric chamber he was inside exploded.
"I'm not an expert in hyperbaric medicine or hyperbaric medical therapy," said Dr. Syab Panhwar. "I'm not going to profess that I am, I'm a cardiologist."
Dr. Panhwar, who's a cardiologist in Minnesota, went viral on TikTok last week after seeing CBS News Detroit's initial story about the incident at the Oxford Center. Now he is using his social media platform and making it his mission to make sure people understand the dangers of hyperbaric therapy and the facilities that administer them.
"Especially for a facility like [The Oxford Center]," Dr. Panhwar told CBS News Detroit. "Which, from what I can tell, has a very concerning past."
CBS News Detroit learned from the state Attorney General's office that the owner of the Oxford Center plead guilty back in August for impersonating a healthcare professional and witness intimidation. The AG's office said that Kimberly Coden was initially charged with 16 counts of unauthorized practice and two counts of identity theft.
"Who are the people at this facility that are administering this therapy of pushing the buttons etcetera and what are their qualifications?," Dr. Panhwar questioned. "Are they qualified or not to be operating that machinery?"
According to the Oxford Centers Website, they're providers are certified by the Oxford Training and Certification – which was a program created for them and by them. Dr. Panhwar says he's never heard of this program before, which makes him raise his eyebrows at it's legitimacy.
"There needs to be a full-investigation into this and what kind of oversight is on these facilities," said Panhwar. "It should not be this easy for you or I to walk into a strip mall and buy a space and open up one of these facilities."
