Dr Death

Quadrant ^ | Dec 05 | Roger Sandall

[Fair Go]

Between 1978 and 2005, in New York, Oregon and Australia, Dr Jayant Patel left a trail of the mutilated and the dead. How could this happen? Who protected this miscreant throughout his career and prevented his activities being exposed? Has the moral miasma of multiculturalism played a part in corrupting standards and confusing the issues?

Dr Jayant M. Patel—or “Doctor Death” as he was christened by the Australian anaesthetist who watched his patients die—was first discovered mangling patients fully twenty years ago in New York. Given employment in an Australian hospital in 2003, where he continued on his destructive path, he was until very recently the subject of an official governmental inquiry (the Bundaberg Hospital Commission of Inquiry, hereafter “the Inquiry”). This investigation involved a possible total of eighty-seven deaths, and in an interim report of June 10, 2005, the Commissioner recommended that Patel be charged with murder. Prosecution may be difficult, however, for with the active connivance of Queensland health administrators he fled back to America last April, and his present whereabouts are unclear.

[Fair Go]

This is an example of what can happen in a state run health system. Australia has both public and private health systems. This happened in the former. It also highlights the dangers of political correctness. A long article but a good read.

[David Isaac]

The problem does not seem to be exclusive to public medicine, as the "good" doctor did two rather lengthy stays in American hospitals. It is more of an indictment of medical bureaucracy and the reluctance of professionals to find any fault with other members of their own profession.

[NapkinUser]

Remember Dr. Jack Kevorkian?

[CarrotAndStick]

Remember another public hospital Dr. Death?

A.k.a Dr. Shipman, the world's most prolific serial killer.

[MinuteGal]

I saw a German silent movie on TV years ago depicting a hapless man stumbling through the deadly German bureaucracy of the time, being thwarted, delayed, insulted, ignored and referred from pillar to post at every turn.

The grainy, noir film was a deadly commentary on the frustrating workings of a government bureaucracy. It relentlessly depicted the basic inertia and conformative thinking of the entrenched government-worker class. Does anyone know the name of this movie?

Many of these nearly-forgotten, social commentary silent films of 70-80 years ago were eerily prophetic.

Leni

[Lurker]

It's a very frightening read.

L

[Fair Go]

However the Americans managed to get rid of him. Apparently he is an American citizen.

[sgtbono2002]

American Doctors and the health system that hides incompetence is as much to blame as anyone else.

Doctors bury their mistakes and other doctors sign off on the death certificates. Its a fraternity. You hide mine I'll hide yours. A paramedic or an EMT has to go back for refresher courses every year or so, Doctors are not required to do so. The good ones do, but it isnt required.

[Jackknife]

BTTT

[Fair Go]

I have no argument with the points you make. However in this case people were quick to sound the alarm bells but those at the top of the state bureaucracy refused to listen. There was also the fact that in a politically correct environment, people were afraid to speak up out of fear of being labelled racists.

[Fair Go]

Watch out this fellow doesn't turn up to practice medicine in Canada's health system. Don't say I didn't warn you. He is already in Oregon.

[purpleland]

Quoted from the article:

---

Racism and Anti-Racism

The evolution of the vocabulary of moral odium is a not uninteresting subject. We have now reached a stage where the charge of “racism” is the most serious charge that can be brought against anyone in public life. Nothing carries more weight, and though legally this is still something of a grey area, socially, professionally and politically the consequences of such an accusation are grave indeed.

---

MORAL ODIUM!

[purpleland]

I saw a German silent movie on TV years ago depicting a hapless man stumbling through the deadly German bureaucracy of the time, being thwarted, delayed, insulted, ignored and referred from pillar to post at every turn.
The grainy, noir film was a deadly commentary on the frustrating workings of a government bureaucracy. It relentlessly depicted the basic inertia and conformative thinking of the entrenched government-worker class. Does anyone know the name of this movie?

Many of these nearly-forgotten, social commentary silent films of 70-80 years ago were eerily prophetic.

Leni

*Kafkaesque!

[CaptainCanada]

Watch out this fellow doesn't turn up to practice medicine
in Canada's health system. Don't say I didn't warn you.
He is already in Oregon.

Finally.... An Aussie I could get to like... ;)

[woollyone]

In 1989 he moved to Oregon and joined the Kaiser Permanente...

hmm...this seems to ring a bell...isn't this the same Kaiser Permanente that had ownership/oversight/partial interest in the hospice in which Terri Schiavo was killed?

...more digging needed...

[MinuteGal]

Indeed it was Kafkaesque. I have the film title on the tip of my tongue, but half my tongue is tied behind my back and I just can't remember.

Where are all the old movie buffs when you need them?

Leni

[jackibutterfly]

"This is an example of what can happen in a state run health system."

Well, WE went through Terri Shiavo. Remember?

[jackibutterfly]

"hmm...this seems to ring a bell...isn't this the same Kaiser Permanente that had ownership/oversight/partial interest in the hospice in which Terri Schiavo was killed?"

Noooo, I don't think Kaiser was involved. In ALL the reading I did regarding Terri, I never once read anything about Kaiser. I believe she was on Medicare/Medicaid in that evil hospice, and I believe the hospice was privately owned.