Medical License Verification

India: Hospital to pay Rs. 2 lakh compensation in medical negligence case

ddani — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

ibnlive.in.com on May 23, 2012 reported that a Rajasthan court has directed government-run Umaid Hospital to pay Rs. two lakh compensation for medical negligence to a couple, whose newborn baby died after a being bitten by a rat in 2009. The District & Session Court held the hospital administration responsible of the death of the child and passed the decree jointly against the state government, Secretary (Medical & Health), district collector along with the hospital. It also directed them to pay the entire legal expenses of the petitioner who lost his child right from the date of filing of the petition along with the interest of 6 per cent.

Pakistan: Doctor sentenced to 33 years in prison for treason

ddani — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

english.chosun.com on May 24, 2012 reported that Government officials say the Pakistani doctor who helped the United States track down Osama bin Laden has been sentenced to 33 years in prison for treason. Shakeel Afridi was accused of running a fake vaccination campaign to help the CIA obtain DNA samples of the al-Qaeda leader and members of his family to confirm his presence at a compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad. U.S. special forces killed bin Laden during a covert raid in the garrison city last May. Local officials said Wednesday that a tribal court in Pakistan's northwest Khyber district convicted Afridi of treason. Aside from jail time, the doctor must also pay a US$3,500 fine.

Australia: Pharmacist gets 6 months suspended ban for dispensing anabolic steroids to a patient

ddani — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

couriermail.com.au on May 24, 2012 reported that a Central Queensland pharmacist has been handed a suspended six-month ban for over dispensing anabolic steroids to a customer over an eight month period. The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal was told Gladstone pharmacist Russell Smith dispensed 1200 tablets and 286 ampoules - sealed vials - of steroids to a "single customer" between July 2008 and March 2009. QCAT deputy president Fleur Kingham, in a just published five-page decision, said the quantity and type of medication dispensed by Mr Smith had the "potential for misuse and abuse". "It is well known in the profession that there is an illicit market in their trade," Judge Kingham said.

Ireland: Victim awarded €690,000 in negligence case

ddani — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

irishtimes.com on May 24, 2012 reported that the High Court has approved a settlement of

USA: Ohio couple convicted for operating pill mill

ddani — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

newsnet5.com on May 23, 2012 reported that a federal jury broke a deadlock and convicted a husband and wife of running an Ohio pill mill that illegally prescribed thousands of painkillers. The case in Cincinnati was among several brought in recent years to help stem what's considered an epidemic of illegal painkiller distribution. It also illustrated the difficulty of such prosecutions, as the jury struggled with the case since beginning deliberations last Thursday. The jury acquitted Nancy and Lester Sadler of several charges but issued several guilty verdicts Tuesday. The panel acquitted a third person on trial altogether, employee Sandy Wells. The Sadlers were each convicted of operating Ohio Medical and Pain Management in Waverly as a continuing criminal enterprise, a charge carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and up to life in prison.

South Africa: Doctor fined for ‘split-billing’

ddani — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

iol.co.za on May 23, 2012 reported that Durban gynaecologist Muhindo Gabriel Matebhere has been fined R20 000 after being found guilty of

USA: Nurse jailed for stealing

ddani — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

wivb.com on May 23, 2012 reported that a Genesee County nurse, convicted of bilking her employer, a hospice agency, out of more than $14,000, has been sentenced to four months in jail, five years probation. Michele Ann Case, formerly of Bergen, was found guilty in March of third degree grand larceny. She submitted inflated mileage claims and claimed phony

USA: Clinic manager admits wrongdoing in health care fraud case

ddani — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

huffingtonpost.com on May 22, 2012 reported that an ex-office manager has pleaded guilty in what prosecutors say was a multimillion dollar health care fraud in which a cancer clinic gave patients diluted chemotherapy drugs and used old syringes on multiple people. Dr. Meera Sachdeva, Brittany McCoskey and Monica Weeks were indicted last August on charges including conspiracy and witness tampering related to the activities of Rose Cancer Center in Summit. Filings in U.S. District Court in Jackson show that McCoskey pleaded guilty on Thursday to one count of giving false statements related to health care matters. The charge is related to billings to Medicaid and Medicare that claim a physician was present during certain procedures.

United Kingdom: Medical council finds accused doctor guilty of serious misconduct

ddani — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

menmedia.co.uk on May 23, 2012 reported that a doctor who mistakenly injected poison into a four-year-old boy has been found guilty of serious misconduct - and told his fitness to practise as a doctor is impaired. Dr Gyorgy Rakoczy faced a panel of medical experts after the horrific incident at the former Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury, which left the child with severe internal injuries. Today the General Medical Council ruled the mistake was so serious it constituted serious misconduct - and that if he was not judged unfit to practise, public confidence in doctors would be damaged. Dr Rakoczy, from Urmston, made the error - injecting 80 per cent phenol into the boy instead of five per cent - after carrying out a haemmorhoidectomy on the child in May 2009.

South Africa: Gynaecologist guilty of botched surgery

ddani — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

iol.co.za on May 23, 2012 reported that a Pietermaritzburg gynaecologist who botched a hysterectomy he performed on a woman in 2006 was yesterday found guilty of negligence in the city

Vietnam: Doctor sentenced to 16 months of non-custodial reform for malpractice

ddani — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn on May 22, 2012 reported that Thanh Tri District People's Court sentenced 50-year-old Doctor Tran Thi Xuan Dung to 16 months of non-custodial reform yesterday for malpractice. Non-custodial reform is a parole-like punishment under which she will have to report regularly to relevent authorities under the supervision of her family and her working hospital. According to the indictment, Dung and her team were directly responsible for the death of Nguyen Thi Vinh, then 52, after a blood transfusion went wrong at Thanh Tri Hospital in October, 2009. The indictment said that Doctor Dung, Doctor Nguyen Thi Tuong Van, 55, and technician Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, 30 had, "violated regulations on medical treatment causing serious consequences".

India: Doctor booked over dowry demand

ddani — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

business-standard.com on May 22, 2012 reported that a city-based doctor has been booked by police for allegedly demanding Rs. 50 lakh dowry before his marriage for pursuing a higher medical course. Dr Rahul Premchand Meshram's (33) alliance was fixed with another medico on March 11. But he, along with his family members, asked the girl's parents on May 16 for Rs. 50 lakh cash for pursuing his FRCS in Singapore. Rahul told the girl's family that his father was a well-established radiologist, having assets worth Rs. one crore.

USA: Pharmacist’s license indefinitely suspended by board

ddani — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

doh.wa.gov on May 22, 2012 reported that the license of Snohomish County pharmacist Paul A. Malloy (PH00017757) has been indefinitely suspended by the Board of Pharmacy and the Washington State Department of Health. Malloy is currently unable to practice with reasonable skill and safety due to a mental or physical condition. He cannot practice as a pharmacist unless he complies with requirements to ensure that he can practice safely.The Board of Pharmacy immediately suspended Malloy on January 27, 2012. The action to indefinitely suspend his license completes the legal process.

USA: Doctor admits health care fraud charges

ddani — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

pine-richland.patch.com on May 22, 2012 reported that a McMurray doctor, who was accused of illegally prescribing narcotics, pleaded guilty to health care fraud and all related charges in court Tuesday. Oliver Wynn Herndon, 40, of Peters Township, appeared in federal district court before Judge Arthur Schwab. His attorney Roger Cox and Drug Enforcement Administration representatives - including assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Kaufman - were present to relay his summary of offenses. Herndon, a 1996 graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine, and the parties reached a plea agreement. Schwab said the maximum sentence could be up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and mandatory restitution payments. The agreement states he’d have to acknowledge his responsibility to the remaining counts, provide his income, assets and financial statements, and that he would pay the $200 special assessment fee.

Bangalore: Hospital to pay Rs.1 lakh over medical negligence

ddani — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

dnaindia.com on May 22, 2012 reported that a consumer court recently ordered the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) to pay Rs.1 lakh as compensation to a man who underwent surgery there, after which he developed complications. The court observed that Nimhans was guilty of medical negligence and deficiency of service and asked the institute to pay the compensation to the complainant, Nagesh Rao, within two months. In January 2008, Rao came to Nimhans with the complaint of acute pain from the neck to the right shoulder. He was diagnosed with cervical spondylosis and advised to get admitted for further tests. Later, he was asked to undergo a minor surgery. His operation took place at Nimhans on January 10, 2008. He was discharged from the hospital on June 11, 2008. He reported feeling weak after the surgery.

USA: Doctor indicted for fraud, unlicensed practice

ddani — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

northjersey.com on May 22, 2012 reported that the state has charged a Saddle River doctor with writing prescriptions while his license was suspended because of criminal charges related to a a prescription-drug ring in Bergen and Hudson counties. Magdy Elamir, 59, was indicted Tuesday by a state grand jury on charges of health-care claims fraud, Medicaid fraud and the unlicensed practice of medicine, a statement from Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa’s office said. He had practiced neurology in Jersey City prior to the suspension of his license. Elamir was arrested in Paterson last July on the charges and was able to post $1 million bail after a “bail source hearing” found that none of the money used was received through illegal means, said his attorney, Deborah Sandlaufer of Roseland.

India: Doctor resigns after reinstatement

ddani — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

timesofindia.com on May 23, 2012 reported that two weeks after the tainted Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (Nims) doctors were reinstated by the state government, one of them, Dr K Sarat Chandra, has put in his papers. The cardiologist who has been associated with Nims for more than a decade had been under suspension for the last six months for facilitating the illegal stay of a double murder accused in the premier teaching hospital. Going by the rules, faculty at NIMS said that the doctor should not have been reinstated. However, as he was reinstated overlooking the rules, he cannot be relieved now as the enquiry against him is still pending, they said. There are two pending cases against him in the high court and Lokayukta.

India: Doctor along with nurse and others held in rape, abortion case

ddani — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

punjabnewsline.com on May 22, 2012 reported that Nangal Police have arrested three accused including a Sarpanch in the case relating to rape and abortion of a minor girl of village Meghpur near Nangal. It may be mentioned that Police had registered a case under section 376,312,313,201,120-B of IPC against six persons including Sarpanch of village Meghpur Poonam Rani, her husband Surjit Singh, son Sukhwinder Singh, Raj Kumar, Dr.Jeewan Lata and a nurse Jeenat Bhatti who had allegedly done abortion of the girl. Police have arrested three accused Sarpanch Poonam Rani, husband Surjit Singh and Son Sukhwinder Singh and nurse Jeenat Bhatti while other accused are absconding. In her complaint the victim girl had said that her mother was used to work as domestic help in the house of Sarpanch and she (girl) also used to go with her for helping her mother. It may be mentioned that the father of the girl had died several years back.

Singapore: Aesthetics doctors to appeal over disciplinary proceedings in court

ddani — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

channelnewsasia.com on May 22, 2012 reported that two prominent aesthetics doctors who were charged with professional misconduct made appeals over disciplinary proceedings in court on Tuesday. Dr Georgia Lee Siow Kiang, the director of aesthetics clinic TLC Lifestyle Practice, appealed against an order by the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) disciplinary committee to pay the full costs of the proceedings. The four-year proceedings, which started in 2008, saw Dr Lee charged with six counts of breaching the SMC's ethical code and guidelines. She was charged for offering and performing various treatments which were not generally accepted by the medical profession. These included aesthetic treatments such as mesotherapy, meso-rejuvenation, meso-cellulite reduction, carboxytherapy, growth hormone therapy, and Vitamin C therapy. Dr Lee was acquitted of three out of the six charges.

India: Doctor accused of killing colleague

ddani — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

ibnlive.in.com on May 22, 2012 reported that a doctor of a Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)-run general hospital allegedly killed his colleague in Kiriburu, police said today. The victim doctor was identified as Dr Sanat Soren while the accused was Dr Arvind Kumar. Soren, who was on leave since the last couple of days and returned alongwith family from Bokaro last afternoon, went to Dr Kumar's residence in the evening after his duty was over on Sunday last but did not return home, police said. The body of Dr Soren was found in a room while Dr Kumar went missing.