LAS VEGAS -- In two weeks, four Las Vegas area clinics have been shut down by the State Board of Health. Authorities said these clinics are performing surgeries they weren't licensed to do and had unsterilized equipment.

Botanica Maya on Lake Mead Boulevard and Nellis, already has its signs torn down. A possibly unlicensed doctor was performing operations in the back room.

The sign at La Clinica de Mujers said, “Confidential, professional and economical.”

“It appeared they were improperly sterilizing equipment, and there were some expired medications,” said Paul Shubert, of the State Board of Health.

It’s one of four clinics shut down for egregious violations in the last two weeks.

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Botanica San Francisco and Botanica Maya are two other clinics the health board closed down.

“We had no corroboration with the Board of Medical Examiners that the physician was even licensed,” Shubert said. “We wanted to get out there and find out if things were being performed in a safe manner or not, and our findings were that is was not safe at all.”

One man said his brother had a close call at Botanica Maya.

“He told me the other day he tried to get medicine, and he gave him the wrong medicine for diabetes, and he was sick. He almost died,” said Efrein Gonzalez.

Why are people risking their lives at these unsafe clinics?

“Here in the United States, it’s really expensive and now, the people don't have the jobs, so they don’t have money to go to the hospital -- and that’s why they use these kinds of places,” Gonzalez said.

The only clinic given a cease and desist letter that was not in a low income neighborhood was the Skin Body Institute.

Health officials said poor sterilization resulted in a botched breast augmentation there.

“Whether is in a low income area or a high income area, it does matter. These things are happening, and we need to address them,” Shubert said.

Some people said they are concerned that if these clinics are shut down, they will open up somewhere else under a new name, and health officials said that is always a possibility.

The Medical Board of Examiners is still investigating the closings, and they will decide the penalties.