WEBVTT - Introducing: Sick to Death

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<v Speaker 1>I'm a Hedley Thomas, and this is my investigation into

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<v Speaker 1>a shocking scandal in the places in which we should

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<v Speaker 1>all feel safe, our public hospitals. Sick to Death is

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<v Speaker 1>the true story of a senior surgeon's lies, manipulation and

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<v Speaker 1>gross negligence, and the herculean effort it took to finally

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<v Speaker 1>stop him.

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<v Speaker 2>Every time I see him walk in the unit, I

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<v Speaker 2>feel sick. What's it going to do?

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<v Speaker 3>Now? Who's he going to kill?

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<v Speaker 4>Now?

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<v Speaker 3>For years, doctor Giant Vittel, the director of surgery at

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<v Speaker 3>Bunderberg Hospital, left a trail of death and horrific injury.

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<v Speaker 2>The first patient that he did came back brain dead.

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<v Speaker 1>It's too awful to be true.

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<v Speaker 3>Inside the ICU, one nurse saw it all.

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<v Speaker 2>I think he had a god complex.

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<v Speaker 3>Tony Hoffman tried to sound the alarm going to her

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<v Speaker 3>superior is fourteen times.

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<v Speaker 2>I put in that major complaint and then they awarded

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<v Speaker 2>Patel's employee of the month.

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<v Speaker 3>Blocked at every turn. Tony took a huge risk approaching

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<v Speaker 3>her local MP rob messenger.

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<v Speaker 4>So when you came to me and were scared, I

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<v Speaker 4>could understand why, because I had an understanding of the

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<v Speaker 4>culture of fear that dispermeated Queensland health at the time.

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<v Speaker 3>The stories were terrifying patients operated on without proper anesthetic.

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<v Speaker 3>In one of the most horrific cases, a patient named

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<v Speaker 3>Des Bramage died after Patel's intervention.

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<v Speaker 2>Patel repeatedly stabbed him in the heart to try and

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<v Speaker 2>drain off this fluid that didn't exist, and on autopsy

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<v Speaker 2>was found and completely abraided the left engricle.

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<v Speaker 4>He should have been charged criminally over DES's death.

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<v Speaker 3>With a bureaucracy failing to act, Tony and a trusted

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<v Speaker 3>colleague called investigative journalist Hedley Thomas.

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<v Speaker 1>Dr Patel didn't become a bad surgeon overnight. The key

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<v Speaker 1>to trying to crack this case really lay in doing

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<v Speaker 1>some research into Patel's history.

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<v Speaker 3>The scandal that followed led to a Royal commission. Patel

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<v Speaker 3>has pleaded not guilty in Brisbane Supreme Court, but it

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<v Speaker 3>came at great personal cost for Tony.

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<v Speaker 2>Professionally it was suicide. Personally, it's been very, very difficult.

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<v Speaker 3>In this series, Headley looks into the police investigation of

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<v Speaker 3>Patel and where the Queensland prosecution of the surgeon went wrong.

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<v Speaker 3>Sick to Death premieres On November fourteen, subscribers to The

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<v Speaker 3>Australian here new episodes first at Sick todeathpodcast dot com

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<v Speaker 3>and The Australians App. Now for the first time, The

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<v Speaker 3>Australian subscribers can also choose to listen to these episodes

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<v Speaker 3>first on Apple podcasts by connecting their subscriptions. Just search

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<v Speaker 3>sick to Death in Apple Podcasts and follow the prompts.