Criminal Investigation Results from another Endoscopy Clinic-Related Hepatitis C Case
March 19, 2008:

Widespread concern was the result of a report in February that six patients who had visited an endoscopy clinic in the area had been infected with hepatitis C as a result of using infected medication vials that were administered with re-used syringes. The Las Vegas Review Journal today reported that another clinic has been linked with ‘clear-cut’ evidence to an additional diagnosis of hepatitis C, and unlike the initial outbreak, this incident could result in criminal charges.

Officials for the Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center, located at 4275 Burnham Ave. were appearing before a Clark County Commission to attempt to lift the restrictions that had already been placed on the clinic’s business license as a result of an inspection performed in January that uncovered improper practices. The disclosure of this latest case was made during this hearing.

According to the patient, whose identity has been withheld, the infection occurred in June of 2006, more than a year before the six-case outbreak occurred at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada on Shadow Lane. Criminal liability could result because the doctor who diagnosed the original case never reported it to health officials, which is required by law, and failing to do so is illegal.
Desert Shadow clinic is managed by Dr. Vishvinder Sharma and the Hari Om Limited Partnership, which lists as general partners Desai, his wife, Dr. Kusum Desai, and Dilip Patel. As of this writing, Las Vegas police and the FBI are in control of the medical records that could relate to this situation, and an investigation is ongoing.

If you or someone you know visited the Desert Shadow facility, you need to take prompt action and contact your medical care provider as soon as possible to be tested for hepatitis C and HIV.

40,000 People Potentially Exposed to Hepatitis C in Nevada Facility

Officials from the Southern Nevada Health District offered a daunting announcement to the public today that could affect as many as 40,000 people.  These officials were reporting the results of a joint investigation between state officials with the Nevada State Bureau of Licensure and Certification (BLC) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

The facility in question is the Endoscopy Center of Nevada, and the specific dates at issue are those between March of 2004 and January 11, 2008.  The specific patients at risk are anyone who was at the center and needed an injection for the purpose of administering anesthesia for procedures.

The report stated that there was a problem with the way in which these injections were handled, and this issue exposed these patients to hepatitis C.  Even though, statistically, the chance of being infected is somewhat small, anyone who falls into this category is urged to immediately schedule an appointment with a doctor to test for the presence of hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV. 

MORE NEWS: March 17, 2008:

In a new development in the story of a south Nevada Endoscopy Center has entered the picture.

Lawyers representing the victims are trying to unravel the liability insurance now, they've uncovered a mere $3 million in malpractice-insurance coverage at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, where as many as 40,000 locals were at risk of exposure to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

This amount comes to about $75 per affected patient -- not even enough to cover the cost of hepatitis and HIV tests which can run $275.00 per test.

More controversy is seen, is that Dr. Dipak Desai, the majority owner of the endoscopy clinic, served on the board of directors of the doctor-owned insurance company that covered his center.

"It's interesting that (Desai) is on both sides of this controversy," said Richard Harris, managing partner of the Richard Harris Law Firm in Las Vegas. "He's the target of the action, yet he's a director of the insurance company that will determine who's going to get paid."

Eglet included the company, Nevada Mutual Insurance Co., in a class-action lawsuit he filed Monday. He's alleging that Desai, as a board member, was regulating himself and other defendants in the Endoscopy Center case.