Owner issues statement on 'unfounded allegations'
Separate statement by clinic issued earlier
In light of an outbreak of hepatitis C virus that resulted in public health officials advising 40,000 patients to be tested, Dipak Desai, MD, majority owner of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada at 700 Shadow Lane, issued the following statement on March 10, 2008:
"As a longtime resident of Southern Nevada, I share our community's sorrow and concern for those who have been affected by this situation. I understand that many have questions about the allegations which have been levied against me and the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. While I wish I were allowed to answer those questions, I am unfortunately unable to do so at this time on the advice of legal counsel. These unfounded allegations will be addressed in a court of law, when facts have been presented and substantiated. I look forward to that day, when I will be afforded the right to due process to which we are all entitled as Americans."
The statement said Desai will not issue any more statements until after legal proceedings have concluded.1 Earlier, the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada issued the following statement, which was posted on the web site of a law firm pursuing a class-action case in the outbreak:
"On behalf of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, we want to express our deep concern about this incident to the many patients who have put their trust in us over the years. As always, our patients remain our primary responsibility and we have already corrected the situation. The recent events related to the Southern Nevada Health District study mark the first time anything like this has ever happened at our facility. We have already taken steps to ensure that it will never happen again. The health district began its investigation in January, and we have been fully cooperating with them. We were officially notified by the health district on Feb. 6, 2008, and submitted our detailed Plan of Correction on Feb. 15, 2008. All concerns noted by the health department were addressed immediately. We continue to work closely with the Southern Nevada Health District and other health agencies during this ongoing review. We want to be sure that every patient who may have been exposed is informed and tested. . . . In addition to our corrective actions, we are on a mission to maintain the trust our patients have had in us during our years of service to southern Nevada. We wish to emphasize that the actual risk of anyone being affected by this is extremely low, but as a precaution, anyone who has undergone procedures at the Endoscopy Center who required anesthesia should be tested. As I'm sure you understand this situation brings with it a number of complex elements including patient privacy and regulatory guidelines. At this time, our counsel has asked that we limit our comments to this statement, and we are unable to take questions."
Reference
- Manning M. "Desai: Can't comment on 'unfounded allegations,'" Las Vegas Sun. March 10, 2008, at http://www.lasvegassun.com.
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