Infamous endoscopy clinic owner put patients in peril to maximize profit.
By American Bazaar Staff
WASHINGTON, DC: When the news broke out of criminal negligence that led to the largest Hepatitis C outbreak in the nation, in 2007, it shocked everybody, and put Dr. Dipak Desai, 63, a Las Vegas doctor and endoscopy clinic owner, in danger of being labeled one of the most infamous Indian Americans to be in the medical field.
Desai, now 63, is surely headed to the Hall of Shame, after a jury of 12 found him guilty on all the 27 counts he was convicted, including for second degree murder – a patient, Rodolfo Meana, who was infected at Desai’s clinic died from complication last year.
An emotionally unmoved Desai, who has suffered several heart attacks in the last few years, was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs along with his assistant, Nurse Anesthetist Ronald Lakeman, as Desai’s wife and a daughter wept openly. Sentencing is in September, and Desai is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison. Lakeman was not found guilty of second degree murder.
“We love you, Daddy,’ Desai’s daughter cried out as Desai was led out of the courtroom in Clark County District court in Las Vegas, reported Daily Mail. ‘God is with you. Always with you.”
FOX5 Las Vegas legal analyst Bob Massi said the case will be appealed.
The case emanates from seven patients who were infected at Desai’s clinic, when it came to light that many patients were treated with re-used needles and fecal matter would spray on the walls of treatment rooms as Desai tried to perform endoscopies as quickly as possible to maximize profits, according to Daily Mail. Desai’s mantra was to treat maximum patients speedily, to earn profits, with scant respect paid for safety and procedure.
After the Hepatitis C outbreak came to light, some 63,000 advisories were issued by health officials for patients to get tested for potentially fatal blood-borne diseases, including hepatitis and HIV.
Health investigators said that they believed vials became contaminated with hepatitis C virus from two different ‘source’ patients on two dates in 2007, and that tainted anesthetic was injected into subsequent patients on those dates, reported Daily Mail.
In addition to the murder charge, Desai was found guilty of seven counts of criminal neglect of patients resulting in substantial bodily harm, seven counts of reckless disregard of persons resulting in substantial bodily harm, nine counts of insurance fraud, two counts of obtaining money under false pretenses and one felony theft charge, said the Mail report.