Posted on 06/22/2005 9:50:56 AM PDT by ambrose
Dr Death 'did not wash hands'
By Rosemary Desmond
20jun05
THE surgeon dubbed Dr Death often failed to wash his hands between surgical patients, a nurse has told an inquiry.
Gail Aylmer, the infection control nurse consultant at Bundaberg District Hospital, said during rounds Dr Jayant Patel examined surgical patients and touched their wounds but she noticed he did not wash his hands despite subtle reminders to do so.
"It got to the point where I wasn't getting anywhere with that so I grabbed a box of (surgical) gloves and put it in his hands," Ms Aylmer said.
"He was touching wounds and pulling off dressings and looking at the wounds."
Ms Aylmer told the inquiry into Dr Patel headed by Tony Morris, QC, she also had concerns about a high incidence of wound dehissance where surgical wounds reopen either through faulty surgical technique or because of faulty closure products.
The inquiry heard one patient's bowel was visible through a line of staples after surgery.
Ms Aylmer detailed her concerns in a report she had written to hospital authorities.
She said Dr Patel had a reasonable explanation for all them at the time and she believed she had to trust him.
But his explanations were delivered in an intimidating manner.
"I did not expect Dr Patel would come to me and stand over me," she said.
"It was quite intimidating."
Ms Aylmer was the first of several nurses expected to give evidence before the commission of inquiry which has begun three weeks of public hearings in Bundaberg.
Dr Patel fled overseas on April 1 after being named in state Parliament.
He has since been linked to the deaths of least 87 people and Mr Morris has recommended murder and fraud charges be laid against him.
Paging Dr. Semmelweis.
Paging Dr. Semmelweis.
Paging him twice is a nice touch.
Just like a real hospital.
I did it by accident but afterwards I realized that, indeed, it's quite realistic.
"THE surgeon dubbed Dr Death often failed to wash his hands between surgical patients, a nurse has told an inquiry."
In his country of origin I am sure it is not considered a necessity
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