‘Dr. Death’ Patel was competent for oesophagectomy operations: Defence counsel
June 21st, 2010 - 12:36 pm ICT by ANIBrisbane, June 20(ANI): The defence counsel of Indian-origin surgeon Dr. Jayant Patel a.k.a. “Dr. Death” has said that he had the skill and care to perform complicated oesophagectomy operations during his time as a surgeon at Bundaberg Base Hospital.
Michael Byrne told the Brisbane Supreme Court jury that contrary to the prosecution’s claims, the evidence given at the trial showed that Patel was capable of doing a competent oesophagectomy (removal of a cancercous oesophagus).
Byrne was completing his final address in a trial where Patel has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter of his patients- Gerry Kemps, James Phillips and Mervyn Morris- on various dates between March 2003 and April 2005.
He has also been accused of causing grievous bodily harm to Ian Rodney Vowles.
The Crown had also given evidence about an oesophagectomy performed on another patient James Grave.Patel is not facing a charge about that oesophagectomy, but the Crown alleged that it should have been a warning to Patel that he was not capable of doing complicated surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital.
Byrne countered this claim and said that a detailed examination of the procedure, lead up and the outcome of the Grave operation showed that Patel had acted with nothing but competency, skill and care.
“It showed Patel had the skill set and employed those skills to deal with the complications and a complicated case. In Grave’s case most of these had been dealt with by time patient was transferred to Brisbane,” The Courier Mail quoted Byrne, as saying.He added that out of the four oesophagectomy opeartions performed by Patel, Phillips’s actual surgery “went fine”, Grave’s actual surgery “went well” and another one also “went fine”.
The trial continues. (ANI)
- Jury retires to deliberate on Patel manslaughter trial - Jun 23, 2010
- `Dr. Death' Patel threatened to quit when patient transfer was arranged - Apr 30, 2010
- Oz prosecutor says `Dr. Death's' surgeries were 'out of the loop' - Jun 16, 2010
- "Dr. Death" Jayant Patel lacked experience for major surgery: Brisbane SC told - Mar 23, 2010
- Anaesthetist says a patient of Dr. Death was 'poisoned by too much potassium' - Apr 19, 2010
- Brisbane court told `Dr. Death's' surgeries 'more dangerous than a transplant' - May 24, 2010
- 'Dr. Death' may have been trying to 'redeem' himself via surgeries: Oz prosecutor - Jun 17, 2010
- Indian-origin doctor guilty of manslaughter in Australia - Jun 29, 2010
- 'Dead patients of Indian-origin doctor consented to surgeries' - Jun 17, 2010
- 'Dr. Death' Patel's lawyer blasts media coverage as 'plain-faced gossip' - Jun 17, 2010
- Oz prosecutor says `Dr. Death' was 'a bad surgeon' - Jun 15, 2010
- Jury deliberates for fifth day on Patel manslaughter trial - Jun 27, 2010
- India-born doctor caused three deaths, Australian court told - Mar 22, 2010
- Indian-origin doctor called his hospital third world country - May 11, 2010
- Brisbane apex court told that Dr. Death 'tore patient's oesophagus' - Apr 21, 2010
Tags: brisbane, bundaberg base hospital, competency, contrary, courier mail, court jury, defence counsel, dr death, dr jayant patel, grievous bodily harm, indian origin, james phillips, kemps, manslaughter, mervyn, michael byrne, oesophagectomy, oesophagus, prosecution, time patient