Las Vegas Sun

November 21, 2009

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And now, a NLV endoscopy clinic is closed

North Las Vegas Business Licensing inspectors shut down the Gastroenterology Center of Nevada at 1815 E. Lake Mead, Suite 207 today. It is the sixth clinic associated with Dr. Dipak Desai, whose Shadow Lane endoscopy clinic has triggered a massive hepatitis outbreak scare.

The city's notice states the clinic constitutes a public nuisance and that it has demonstrated "willful failure to observe long accepted and mandated medical sanitary protocols."

The notice also applies to any similar business operations at other locations in North Las Vegas,, pending review by the city's business licensing authorities.

"Our primary concern is to protect the health and welfare of our residents," City Manager Gregory Rose said. "We are ordering this clinic to shut its doors until we can determine that they are operating in a safe and sanitary manner."

The clinic is affiliated with the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, which potentially exposed 40,000 Nevadans to HIV and hepatitis strains B and C, according to health officials.

The city's cease and desist order provides clinic administrators a chance to appeal the order at a City Council meeting scheduled for March 19, provided the clinic gives the city written notice of intent to appear.

Discussion: 2 comments so far...

  1. My heart goes out to all of you! My husband was also a patient and is currently being tested! I want all the nurses and doctors medical lic taken away, I called the attorneys. I hope we all ban together and demand the prosecution of all individuals that participated in this practice and I say we all gather and fight for this to be done, who knows what we will all go through, I highly reccoment we all get our children the vaccine shots so they do not get or contract anything from us and we should raise our voices and speak loudly, this is not oversight this is criminal they take an oath to do no harm and they put all of us at risk and moreover could create a widespread epidimic of hep virus ! I want this company to leave nevada and not to reopen ever anywhere and i want there jobs, there money and there lic and prosecution, all of it! good wishes to all of us and I hope not many people are affected by this, god bless and god forgive but god should taketh there lives and change them forever.

  2. I fully agree with moscati re: bio-terrorists!
    My husband went for a colonoscopy to the Burnham clinic in Nov 2007. Thank God all came back clear on the test. UNTIL this week.
    Now we sit in "terror" waiting for his blood results to come back, which he took yesterday at our local drs office.
    My heart and prayers are going out to everyone that is a part of this living nightmare.
    I blame not only the drs that own these clinics, but even more so I blame the nurses, drs and anyone that "knowingly" used dirty syringes etc,,
    Let's face it,,,they are the ones that fired the fatal shot, the owners gave the word and they re: those who intentionally did this due to their own lack of morals, ethics, common sense, etc,,are even more guilty then the one that said lets save some money.
    There is NO EXCUSE whatsoever and I believe that anyone who did this should be fully prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
    What makes "them" any different then the terrorists we are fighting in Iraq? At least we can see them and are trained to fight our enemies and do it well.
    All it took was for 1 person that knew of this disgrace in the clinic to make a call, without giving their name and this could of been prevented.
    I know that God will be the final judge on these people.
    With hope and prayers to all who have or are suffering now with these diseases, and are waiting for the "results" may God Bless you with HIS PEACE during this time of bio-war in our valley.

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