- Joined
- Aug 7, 2008
- Messages
- 1,125
- Points
- 38
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_505032.html
World
Home > Breaking News > World > Story
Mar 22, 2010
'Inept' doctor pleads not guilty
BRISBANE - A doctor accused of repeatedly botching operations and performing surgeries he was not capable of handling pleaded not guilty on Monday to three manslaughter charges and one of grievous bodily harm.
Jayant Patel, an Indian-born doctor, replied 'not guilty, your honour' when the charges were read to him in a crowded Australian courtroom just before jury selection began in the trial that is expected to take four to six weeks and hear some 90 witnesses.
The trial comes more than 25 years after questions were first raised about his competency, and five years after a government inquiry found he may have directly contributed to patient deaths because of an unacceptable level of care at the hospital.
Patel, 59, has not spoken publicly about the charges. He faces life in prison if convicted.
Patel was originally charged with more than a dozen counts, but will only be tried on four: three counts of manslaughter and one of grievous bodily harm.
The charges relate to four patients he treated while working as director of surgery between 2003 and 2005 at a state-run hospital in Bundaberg, a sugar industry town 230 miles (370 kilometres) north of Brisbane in Queensland state.
Prosecutors say Patel repeatedly performed surgeries he'd been banned from undertaking in the United States, misdiagnosed patients and used sloppy, antiquated surgical techniques while working in Bundaberg. Some of the accusations against him include unnecessarily removing a patient's bowel and failing to stop internal bleeding in an elderly man who later died.
Patel has faced complaints about his competency since the early 1980s, when he practiced in the US In 1984, he was fined by New York health officials and placed on probation for three years for failing to examine patients before surgery. -- AP
World
Home > Breaking News > World > Story
Mar 22, 2010
'Inept' doctor pleads not guilty
BRISBANE - A doctor accused of repeatedly botching operations and performing surgeries he was not capable of handling pleaded not guilty on Monday to three manslaughter charges and one of grievous bodily harm.
Jayant Patel, an Indian-born doctor, replied 'not guilty, your honour' when the charges were read to him in a crowded Australian courtroom just before jury selection began in the trial that is expected to take four to six weeks and hear some 90 witnesses.
The trial comes more than 25 years after questions were first raised about his competency, and five years after a government inquiry found he may have directly contributed to patient deaths because of an unacceptable level of care at the hospital.
Patel, 59, has not spoken publicly about the charges. He faces life in prison if convicted.
Patel was originally charged with more than a dozen counts, but will only be tried on four: three counts of manslaughter and one of grievous bodily harm.
The charges relate to four patients he treated while working as director of surgery between 2003 and 2005 at a state-run hospital in Bundaberg, a sugar industry town 230 miles (370 kilometres) north of Brisbane in Queensland state.
Prosecutors say Patel repeatedly performed surgeries he'd been banned from undertaking in the United States, misdiagnosed patients and used sloppy, antiquated surgical techniques while working in Bundaberg. Some of the accusations against him include unnecessarily removing a patient's bowel and failing to stop internal bleeding in an elderly man who later died.
Patel has faced complaints about his competency since the early 1980s, when he practiced in the US In 1984, he was fined by New York health officials and placed on probation for three years for failing to examine patients before surgery. -- AP
