- By Shivangi Sharma
- Fri, 14 Nov 2025 05:41 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Australia is witnessing renewed outrage after Indian-origin former surgeon Jayant Mukundray Patel, once convicted of manslaughter, claimed he had “completely forgotten” about the deaths and trauma linked to his medical practice two decades ago. Patel, now 75, made the remark when a journalist from The Australian confronted him in Portland, Oregon, his first public comment since 2015.
When questioned about his past at Queensland’s Bundaberg Base Hospital, Patel casually said, “It was ages ago, and I completely forgot about it… I’m beyond that.” He added that he had moved on with his life and no longer reacted to “stupid criticisms.”
The Bundaberg Hospital Scandal
Patel worked at Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005. During this period, staff repeatedly raised alarms about his alleged misconduct. Complaints included:
Botched surgeries
Misdiagnosis of patients
Removal of healthy organs
Poor surgical technique
Nurses reportedly hid patients from him due to fears over the quality of his work.
The scandal exploded in 2005, after several patients died following surgeries he performed, one victim passing away after Patel unnecessarily removed parts of his bowel.
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Trials, Acquittals And Legal Roller-Coaster
Patel was arrested in the US in 2008 and extradited to Australia. In 2010, he received a seven-year jail sentence after being convicted of manslaughter and grievous bodily harm. However, Australia’s High Court overturned the convictions in 2012, ordering retrials. He was later acquitted in one case, while the jury could not reach a verdict in another.
Before arriving in Australia, Patel had already been banned from performing surgery in New York and Oregon.
Doctors in Australia warn that the federal government’s new policy to fast-track international medical graduates could risk “another Patel,” underscoring the need for stricter vetting.
Patel now lives quietly in Portland in a four-bedroom home with his wife, Kishoree, also a doctor. Reports say he appeared “detached and unaffected” when reminded of the past.