Dr. Jayant Patel won't know whether he will face a trial until at least the middle of next month and possibly as late as May. The inquiry into Dr. Patel's alleged malpractice at Australia's Bundaberg Hospital has linked him to as many as 87 patient deaths. Prosecutor David Meredith said the committal hearing would run until
February 27 because three medical expert witnesses could not give evidence
until that date. A forensic nursing expert may be called to collect evidence and investigate the case. One nurse has already testified that "All the nurses in intensive care were seeing these
patients dying every day and we couldn't do anything." Ms. Hoffman also told
the inquiry in March "We'd taken to hiding patients. We just thought 'What on earth can we do to stop this man."
After studying medicine in India, Dr Patel moved to New York, where the first complaints against him were made in 1984, when he was found not to be examining patients adequately before surgery. Dr Patel has also been accused of fraud for allegedly falsifying his application to practice medicine in Australia, by removing any mention of his previous blemished record in the US. He fled Australia in April, and while Queensland state authorities want to seek his extradition, his current whereabouts remain unknown.
After studying medicine in India, Dr Patel moved to New York, where the first complaints against him were made in 1984, when he was found not to be examining patients adequately before surgery. Dr Patel has also been accused of fraud for allegedly falsifying his application to practice medicine in Australia, by removing any mention of his previous blemished record in the US. He fled Australia in April, and while Queensland state authorities want to seek his extradition, his current whereabouts remain unknown.
