Indian-American Doctor Disciplined After Overlooking Patient's Cries During Procedure Due to Hearing Aid Issue

August 20 :
Two failed colonoscopy procedures—including one in which the 84-year-old Indian-American doctor failed to hear a patient's cries because he was not wearing his hearing aids led to his probation and fine. Claims made with the Florida Department of Health state that during one treatment, Dr. Ishwari Prasad unlawfully gave an unlicensed surgical technician, who did not have the proper medical training, instructions to handle the colonoscopy scope.

In a separate instance, the patient screamed in agony because Dr. Prasad started the colonoscopy before they were completely sedated. According to the lawsuit, Prasad was unable to halt the surgery because he was not using his hearing aids. The Miami Herald reports that the insufficient sedation was caused by an issue with the patient's intravenous line. The Tampa Ambulatory Surgery Centre was the site of both occurrences, according to the complaint.

The Florida Board of Medicine has put Prasad on probation, penalized him $7,500, and ordered him to pay $6,301 in case expenses as a result of these findings. In addition to completing 10 supervised gastrointestinal procedures, he must also finish a five-hour medical ethics course and refrain from doing procedures alone.

The Miami Herald further stated that the patient's pain was worsened because Prasad persisted with the treatment even after being told to wait. The surgical tech allegedly took on responsibilities beyond her scope of practice on a regular basis since Prasad was unable to handle them himself, according to the probe. By next August 7th, Prasad must have finished the required course.