Doc Linked to 17 Aussie Deaths Busted in Portland

A doctor accused of leaving a bloody trail of surgical mistakes from New York to Australia to Oregon, has been arrested in Portland, the AP reports. Jayant Patel, a US citizen, fled to Oregon in 2005 after an inquiry was launched into botched operations linked to 17 deaths at a Queensland hospital. "Patel bungled surgeries with tragic results," said a court memo.

Patel moved to Australia after being banned from surgery in New York and Oregon. He hid his past but quickly earned a reputation for incompetence so bad that nurses tried to hide patients from him, according to law enforcement authorities. Proceedings are now under way to have Patel extradited back to Australia, where the charges against him include manslaughter and causing grievous bodily harm. Patel could face three life sentences if convicted. (More doctor stories.)