Ex-Bundaberg Hospital chief says Dr. Death's unit was grossly under-funded

Brisbane, Apr.28 (ANI): A former medical director of Queensland's Bundaberg Hospital has told a court here that the unit run by incarcerated Indian-origin surgeon Dr. Jayant Patel a.k.a. Dr. Death was grossly under-funded.

According to Dr. Darren Keating Chief Surgeon Patel began work at a time when staff was under enormous pressure to increase performance despite being "grossly under-funded".

Keating told the Supreme Court in Brisbane about pressure to produce results in reducing patient waiting times from Queensland Health, local residents and politicians.

According to The Age, he was being cross-examined on the 22nd day of a trial in which Patel is charged with three counts of manslaughter and one of grievous bodily harm involving patients.

Dr Keating told Michael Byrne, QC, for Patel, how politicians were putting on pressure to have operations and treatment performed as close to "home" as possible.

He agreed with Byrne that he had inherited a "difficult job" which had "horrendous waiting lists" of up to two years.

He agreed with Byrne that, if a hospital did not use all of its funding, it would be cut for the next year. (ANI)