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Surgeon Accused of Quickening Death for Organs
February 27, 2008 10:30 AM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
A California surgeon has been accused of hastening the death of a patient in order to retrieve his liver and kidneys.
30-Second Summary
Prosecutors for Rosa Navarro, the mother of deceased patient Ruben Navarro, allege that Dr. Hootan C. Roozrokh gave her son excessive doses of drugs to speed up what most doctors agree was an impending death.
On Feb. 3, Navarro, a brain-damaged 25-year-old suffering from a debilitating neurological disease, was taken off the ventilator at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and administered morphine and anti-anxiety medicine. Navarro died about eight hours later.
According to The New York Times, Dr. Roozrokh has been charged “with felony counts of dependent adult abuse, mingling a harmful substance (Betadine) and prescribing a controlled substance (morphine and Ativan) without medical purpose.”
“If you think a malpractice lawsuit is scaring surgeons off, wait to see what happens when people see a surgeon being charged criminally and going to jail,” Dr. Goran B. Klintmalm, president of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, told the Times.
There is also concern that the case will deter prospective organ donors.
On Feb. 3, Navarro, a brain-damaged 25-year-old suffering from a debilitating neurological disease, was taken off the ventilator at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and administered morphine and anti-anxiety medicine. Navarro died about eight hours later.
According to The New York Times, Dr. Roozrokh has been charged “with felony counts of dependent adult abuse, mingling a harmful substance (Betadine) and prescribing a controlled substance (morphine and Ativan) without medical purpose.”
“If you think a malpractice lawsuit is scaring surgeons off, wait to see what happens when people see a surgeon being charged criminally and going to jail,” Dr. Goran B. Klintmalm, president of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, told the Times.
There is also concern that the case will deter prospective organ donors.
Headline Link: ‘Surgeon Accused of Speeding a Death to Get Organs’
“He didn’t deserve to be like that, to go that way. He died without dignity and sympathy and without respect,” Rosa Navarro said about her son Ruben’s death.
Source: The New York Times
Background: United Network for Organ Sharing
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing Web site, 98,065 people are on the waiting list for an organ transplant in the United States. From January to November 2007, there were 26,029 organ transplants and 13,229 donors.
Source: United Network for Organ Sharing
Related Topic: Indian kidney ring
On Feb. 2, 2008, findingDulcinea reported that some 400–500 low-wage workers in India have been tricked into donating their kidneys by medical staff involved in an illegal transplant ring.
Source: finding Dulcinea
Reference: Organ donations
The 2004 Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act (U.S.) assists living donors with the cost of travel, subsistence and incidental non-medical expenses.
Source: Transplant Living
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network offers comprehensive information for people waiting for kidneys, including briefings on recent laws passed concerning organ donations and a list of transplant centers organized by organ and state.
Source: Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
