“Dr. Death” Jayant Patel lacked experience for major surgery: Brisbane SC told

BRISBANE - The Brisbane Supreme Court has been told that former Indian-origin surgeon Dr. Jayant Patel a.k.a. “Dr. Death” lacked the experience or medical support facilities to undertake major surgery on a patient who later died.

Prosecutor Ross Martin was speaking at the trial of Dr. Patel, who has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of James Phillips, Mervyn Morris and Gerardus Kemps.

The charges relate to Patel’s time as director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005.

Martin said that 46-year-old patient James Edward Phillips was in the end stage of renal failure in May 2003 when Dr. Patel decided to perform an oesophagectomy.

He said that medical exploration before the operation had discovered a “concerning” nodule in Phillips’ oesophagus, and other doctors only recommended biopsies and further assessment. Despite these complications, Dr. Patel decided to perform “a huge operation”, which the Crown is alleging led to Phillips’ death two days later.

The court was also told that medical evidence would show Dr. Patel did not possess the required experience to perform the operation, News.com.au reports.

Martin further stressed that the Bundaberg Base Hospital did not have the necessary facilities to support such a major operation, and said: “The operation required a much higher level of care than was available at Bundaberg.” (ANI)