Doctor ‘turned off life support to free up bed’

A WOMAN’S life support machine was turned off in an Australian hospital because the director of surgery wanted her bed to operate on another patient, an inquiry heard yesterday.

A government-sanctioned inquiry in the state of Queensland is examining the deaths of 87 patients treated by Indian-trained Dr Jayant Patel, who has been dubbed "Dr Death".

Dr Patel was director of surgery at Queensland's regional Bundaberg Hospital in 2003-'04, despite negligence findings against him in two US states that resulted in restrictions on his US medical license.