India-Born 'Dr Death' Faces Civil Suits

An India-born surgeon Jayant Patel, referred as "Dr Death" by the media, faces manslaughter charges in Sydney, Australia followed by further investigations on the death of another patient of the doctor.

It has also been revealed that some of Patel's victims have instructed Nicol Robinson Halletts, a Brisbane based law firm, to take the unprecedented step of initiating civil action to recover compensation directly from the former Bundaberg surgeon, according to the newspaper Australian.

"(The victims) are forced to take such measures as the Australian government has not fully waived limitation and has not accepted liability," said solicitor Harrison.

Former surgery director at Bundaberg Base Hospital in Queensland, Patel fled to the US last year after he was linked to the deaths of 17 patients.

Former attorney-general Linda Lavarch had to resign from her post last month after she rejected a deal in June to bring Patel to Australia to face charges.

The deal would have also allowed Patel to return to the US between court hearings and ensure the media were not tipped off about his arrival in Australia.

It is rumoured that Patel - who was earning $200,000 a year in Bundaberg Queensland - is selling off his assets, which include his mansion in Portland, Oregon, and a Toyota Lexus.

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Patel has also been accused of fraud for falsifying his application to practise medicine in Australia by removing any mention of his previous tarnished record in the US. He studied medicine in India and thereafter went to the US, where the first complaint against him was made in 1984, when he was found not to be examining patients adequately before surgery.

Due to concerns over his work, he was restricted from carrying out certain types of operations - such as liver and pancreatic surgeries - in the US.

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Later, Patel's US medical licence was terminated.

Source-IANS
SRI