Medical records seized during hepatitis probe to be released

Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008 | 2:19 p.m.

Hepatitis scare

Medical documents seized by authorities earlier this year from the Gastroenterology Center of Nevada following a major hepatitis scare in Las Vegas will soon be returned, authorities announced today.

Work will begin Saturday to package all impounded patient files so they may be released back to the medical center's various locations from which they originated, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Metro anticipates that the files will be released to patients by January 2009.

On Feb. 29, 2008, members of Metro Police, the FBI and investigators from the Nevada State Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Health and Human Services served multiple search warrants at six of the center's locations.

Patients’ medical records were seized in connection with the criminal investigations against the center and its founder, Dr. Dipak Desai. Desai also owned the majority of The Endoscopy Clinic of Southern Nevada where 40,000 patients were potentially exposed to hepatitis C and HIV through contaminated needles.

Desai has since been barred from practicing medicine in Nevada and faces disciplinary hearings by the medical board.

The City of Henderson suspended the Gastroenterology Center of Nevada on March 4, 2008.

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