"Dr. Death" Jayant Patel faced disciplinary action in US in 2000: Brisbane SC told

Brisbane, Mar 23(ANI): Former Indian-origin surgeon Dr. Jayant Patel a.k.a. "Dr. Death" was disciplined by an American medical body in August 2000 for "gross acts of negligence", the Brisbane Supreme Court has been told.

Prosecutor Ross Martin told the court that Dr. Patel, who has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of James Phillips, Mervyn Morris and Gerardus Kemps, had been practicing as a surgeon in Oregon in 2000.

He said that in August 2000, three years before taking employment at Bundaberg Base Hospital, Dr. Patel was the subject of a stipulation order from the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners restricting his participation in major operations including an oesophagectomy and certain abdominal procedures.

"His career took something of a hurdle in Oregon," The Courier Mail quoted Martin, as saying.

The court was told that the board placed the order on Dr. Patel after he made errors in previous operations.

Reading from a copy of the order, Martin said: "The board proposes to take disciplinary action against (Patel) for violations of the medical practices act ... and gross acts of negligence."

He further said that Bundaberg Base Hospital's staff had been unaware of the American body's disciplinary action against Dr. Patel.

Dr. Patel has also pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Ian Rodney Vowles.

The charges relate to his time as director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005. (ANI)