Seven years after his appointment as Director of Surgery at Bundaberg Base Hospital, six years after nurse Toni Hoffman warned of a mounting toll of patient deaths, five years after he escaped from Australia to hide in Oregon, and two years after his extradition from the USA…
Jayant Mukundray Patel, medical miscreant sans pareil, has at last been found guilty of serious crime. And in the Brisbane Supreme Court on July 1st 2010 he received his penalty. For the manslaughter of Mervyn John Morris, James Edward Phillips, and Geradus Wilhelmus Gosewinus Kemps, and for causing grievous bodily harm to Ian Rodney Vowles, Justice John Byrne sentenced him to seven years in jail.
Addressing Patel, Justice Byrne said that “In view of the verdicts of the jury, there is no denying the gravity of your offence and your repeated serious disregard for the welfare of the four patients.” The judge added that Patel’s fatal operations “might easily have been avoided. Had you sought a second opinion on whether to proceed, the indications are that another surgeon would have advised against them all.”
But Justice Byrne was much too kind. Patel’s psychopathic eagerness to wield the knife had been known well before he arrived in Australia. And a second opinion was something he never required. At the Kaiser Permanente Hospital, in Oregon, where after several years of malpractice his surgical cases were reviewed (three had died, while a fourth lost gastrointestinal function after Patel performed a colostomy backward) “Medical staff alleged that he would often turn up, even on his days off, and perform surgery on patients that were not even his responsibility. In some cases this surgery was not even required, and caused serious injuries or death to the patient.”
For his depredations in Brisbane the prosecution asked a minimum of ten years. Given that the death toll for which Patel appears responsible may have been between 80 and 90 men and women (in the course of two years’ surgical mayhem) many think this was too short. And the prospect of his now being released on parole after only 3½ years is for some surviving victims downright disturbing.
But Australians are a generous and forgiving people. Mrs Judy Kemps, who lost her husband Geradus Kemps, said the main priority was a conviction. “That guilty verdict is what I really wanted. The jury did a good thorough job, sitting there all those weeks listening to the case.” According to a report in the Brisbane Times Mrs Kemps went on to add that “even if Patel was released after three and a half years she would not be concerned.” Anyway, the whole grisly story of Patel’s career as a medical mutilator is here: Doctor Death in Bundaberg.
It is a story, moreover, that reaches far beyond his case and his crimes. First it entails the administrative competence and probity of the government department called somewhat ironically Queensland Health. The officers of this agency were responsible for hiring Jayant Patel. They were also responsible for the general oversight of hospital operations and for seeing that all was well among both staff and patients.
This they signally failed to do. Instead, they systematically obstructed investigations into criminal activity within their jurisdiction, and blatantly intervened to assist Patel escape justice, providing him with a free flight back to America.
Three representative members of the administrative bureaucracy at Bundaberg Base Hospital appeared as witnesses before an inquiry in 2005 — The Director of Services, the District Health Manager, and a third responsible for the nursing staff. Samples of their testimony are presented at the conclusion of Doctor Death in Bundaberg as Appendices A, B, and C.
Reader’s opinions will no doubt be varied and various. My own view is that it would be difficult to find a lower caliber of personnel: intellectually limited, with unconvincing credentials, devoid of any sense of responsibility, and morally impaired. Devotees of nationalized medicine with its armies of nondescript officials should perhaps be careful what they wish for. You wouldn’t trust a sick dog with Appendices A, B, and C. Ultimately, alas, and regardless of rogue medicos like Jayant Patel, bureaucratic personnel like these always ruin such schemes. Read the full story here: Doctor Death in Bundaberg.
An Australian writer living in Sydney, Roger Sandall is the author of The Culture Cult (2001), a study of romantic primitivism and its effects. His work has appeared in a number of places including Commentary, The American Interest, Encounter, The New Criterion, The American, Sight and Sound, Quadrant, Art International, The New Lugano Review, The Salisbury Review, Merkur, Mankind, Visual Anthropology, and Social Science and Modern Society.
Thanks-Just saw “Doctor death” on CNN. 7 years is too short a sentence for such a “doctor”. Tragic.
I wonder if this guy wasn’t a terrorist out to kill as many whites as he can possibly kill through his so called medical knowledge.
I had just read what Roger Sandhall have said in the article. It had said Dr Jayant Patel was involded in many cases and so many in related to patients fatal injuries and death. Was their nobody else involved in this case?. Also Roger Sandhall has written that Australian people are “generous” and “forgiving”, then why are so many Indian racially targetted and hurt. Day by day, Indian in Australia are suffering. This may seem different but to my opinion it is the same issue and this time it is Dr Jayant Patel. Also Roger Sandhall is obviously an australian writer, then he is going to favour the australian. It also may seem that I am biased as Dr Jayant Patel is india but if Roger Sandhall can talk for australia why can I not give my opinion on Dr Jayant Patel. Also what is written by the media does not have to be true. Also false evidence can be produced as well.
I had just read what Roger Sandhall have said in the article. It had said Dr Jayant Patel was involded in many cases and so many in related to patients fatal injuries and death. Was their nobody else involved in this case?. Also Roger Sandhall has written that Australian people are “generous” and “forgiving”, then why are so many Indian racially targetted and hurt. Day by day, Indian in Australia are suffering. This may seem different but to my opinion it is the same issue and this time it is Dr Jayant Patel. Also Roger Sandhall is obviously an australian writer, then he is going to favour the australian. It also may seem that I am biased as Dr Jayant Patel is indian but if Roger Sandhall can talk for australia why can I not give my opinion on Dr Jayant Patel. Also what is written by the media does not have to be true. Also false evidence can be produced as well.
My goodness perhaps you should all read the account written by Hedley Thomas.
I dont care what race a person is but this Dr Patel left a wake of tragedy and death behind him.
The facts have shown he was banned in other countries. Australian medical authorities who didnt double check his credentials are reprehensible. They also should be held accountable for the deaths of the people under this persons so called care.
Mohil Patel I can only assume that you would be comfortable allowing this man with a dark shadow hanging over him to operate on you or one of your family??
personally I would never allow him near any of my family.
Mohil Patel, come on! The man is a butcher! It has nothing to do with race. Please, cut the race card drama crap. Patel is lousy Doctor and that is that! Nobody gives a damn where he’s from! I’m just sayin….
Innye Green, you probably may not be bothered about your family but I care about my family. The issue was that Bundaberg Hospital are the one that allowed him to take employement. If he is wrong that is that, but where are Bundaberg Hospital dragged in all this. If he did 87 fatalities, when the first of 87 fatalies was done, why was there no investigation done then?. So Bundaberg Hospital are to be dragged within this as well. Tina, I am not looking at race, probably you are and that is why you thought of it that way. This is because, I did not mention any thing about colour or background whereas you have given your judgement on what the media gave in the news and Internet. So both or you do not teach me or misjudge me. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!