Jakarta Health Agency head Koesmedi Priharto said Monday there were no legal chiropractors operating in Jakarta following the closure of dozens of chiropractic clinics across the city in January because his office had issued no permits ever since.

Clinic closures were preceded by news of alleged malpractice that led to the death of Allya Siska Nadya after being treated by American chiropractor Dr. Randal Cafferty at the Chiropractor First Clinic, Pondok Indah Branch, on Aug. 7, 2015.

"No chiropractic clinic will open in Jakarta because the chiropractic profession is not legal. Chiropractor is a massage practitioner, not a doctor," Koesmedi told The Jakarta Post on Monday, adding that should Jakartans find any chiropractic clinics operating in Jakarta, it should be reported to their nearest health subagency.

Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine popular in the US and later in Indonesia. Many people with back pain have testified that chiropractic treatment improved their condition. Despite the positive testimonies, chiropractic has been a controversial subject in the US.

Following Allya’s death, in January the Jakarta Police arrested two Australians, Anthony and Thomas Dawsons, who owned six chiropractic clinics in Bali and Jakarta. The police said the Dawsons ran “illegal” clinics and they were “fake” doctors.

Sydney Morning Herald reported that both Dawsons were registered with the Chiropractic Board of Australia. The Australian newspaper quoted Anthony Dawson’s friend, Mark Barlow, who said both men tried to follow the regulations in Indonesia and called the arrest a “witch hunt.” (evi)