Russian roulette?  Why not for a change try Indian Roulette

I will preface this article with a rider that thankfully there are only a minority of Indian surgeons whose breathtaking incompetence of the likes of Dr Patel who has left many of his patients bypassing a near death experience, passing go and going straight to Nirvana. Having said that it is no consolation for the person or persons who found that they were left with a litre of blood in their abdomen after a botched up surgery. As I write this Dr Patel’s case is being heard in the courts.

Referred to as Doctor Death, Jayant Patel, who you may have guessed, is an Indian gentleman whose lasse, devil-may-care operating techniques are now beginning to come to light have shown that American records have confirmed he was responsible for at least three deaths. I admit a small very number indeed, an amount that one may not worry too much about, unless of course it was a member of your family, particularly your wife. Whilst at the Bunderberg base hospital in Queensland it is strongly suspected that his tally so far could total 80 SOULS. His complication rate for operations was 30% above normal and that at least 14 of the doctor’s cases had involved major complications. As a result of the disclosure as many as 400 former patients are now being tracked. A nurse who was a whistle blower said she was appalled at his operating techniques and complained to her superiors but no action was taken, and when she confronted Dr Patel was told to co-operate and do as she was told.

A man 65, who died two days after Dr Patel performed pancreatic surgery. He was found with seven litres of blood in his abdomen. A woman, 83 died of post operative complications after pancreatic and colon surgery. She was found with a litre of blood in her abdomen. A man 67, died the day after Dr Patel performed liver surgery. He had almost two litres of blood in his abdomen. A man who permanently lost gastrointestinal function after Dr Patel performed a colostomy “backwards”man 67, died the day after Dr Patel performed liver surgery. He had almost two litres of blood i

It doesn’t get any better I am afraid. Just when traumatised staff at Bundaberg Hospital thought they had seen the worst of Patel’s botch-ups from perforating bowels during routine surgery to amputating toes without anaesthetic- something sickening happened to raise their anxiety. A patient needed an operation to investigate suspected bowel cancer. But things had gone awry. The theatre staff rushed out urgently looking for mouth swabs. This lunatic had somehow flushed the wrong end of the bowel. Faeces were coming out of the patient’s mouth. You heard right folks.

Dr Patel, a heavy smoker who flagged his presence around the hospital wards because of the strength of his cologne had admirers. They included the theatre nurses and the hospital’s senior staff specialists Kees Nydam, an Asian Lady, who remained adamant even after the disclosures, that he was an excellent surgeon “I would have no hesitation of having this highly qualified surgeon operate on any member of my family or myself” Dr. Patel the director of surgery was on a package of $200,000 a year!

It appears that Dr. Patel had arranged for the bodies to be prematurely released to the undertakers to ensure they would not be examined by pathologists. The release of the bodies being contingent on there being a valid death certificate, in other cases he would falsify the death certificates by wrongly stating that the death was caused from conditions such as malnutrition, when it could in fact have been linked to a blunder in surgery.

The smiling plump swarthy looking Indian was often see at an Indian Curry Bazaar and Take-away in Bargara Nr Bundaberg. It was here Dr Patel an ethnic Indian who went to medical college in Gujarat before undertaking further training in the U.S. In Oregon Dr. Patel was ordered to cease any surgery involving the pancreas, any resection of the liver and constructions of ileoanal pouches. He was also required to obtain a second opinion on complicated surgical cases. He surrendered his medical licence after he was caught trying to practise in New York State even though barred. In early 2003 he left New York for Bundaberg StateHospital in Queensland as its Director of Surgery!

The standards of the Medical Board of Queensland are so lax that no reference checks are sought to verify the qualification of overseas-trained doctors, similar to the U.K When his incompetence finally came to light after the deaths of the first three people, He fled to the U.S where he is living in a million-dollar mansion in the leafy suburbs of Portland, Oregon in the U.S. The Australian authorities are now seeking his extradition

So the moral of this tragic tale is when a masked Asian doctor is looming over you and is about to bury his scalpel in your pancreas or other sensitive nether regions it would be a extremely timely suggestion to enquire of him where did he obtain his medical qualifications, was it through a Delhi or a Karachi correspondence school, or over the internet?  At first glance it might appear on the surface to be childishly picky, but at the conclusion of your operation it will make a world of difference to your general mien and well-being when on waking up from the anaesthetic being greeted with a hot cup of tea and a chocolate digestive and not being prematurely introduced to your maker.