Ray Harbert, Las Vegas

Tue, Mar 18, 2008 (2:03 a.m.)

During a TV news broadcast over the weekend, I heard Gov. Jim Gibbons’ reaction to the health scare caused by unsafe procedures at various Las Vegas clinics. He blamed the problem on the news media. He said only six cases of hepatitis C had been identified and it was the news media and their coverage that precipitated the scare. He said, “There was no single vial of medication reused. There were no reused needles.”

Such a statement can be made only out of ignorance or stupidity. One only has to ask: “Governor, were you there for each and every test, injection and/or procedure? If you were not there, how do you know the facts?” Dr. Dipak Desai, majority owner of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, served on the governor’s health care transition team. Dr. Desai was a major force behind the recent medical malpractice limitation initiative in Nevada.

After making those statements and taking a strong defensive position in support of Dr. Desai and criticizing the news media, on Sunday Gov. Gibbons asked for the resignation of three members of the State Board of Medical Examiners and the board’s executive director, Tony Clark. In spite of this action, Gov. Gibbons defends the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, saying that if the doctors and nurses had been grossly negligent, more cases of hepatitis C would have been found. Wake up, Governor, the final count is not in yet. One case caused by unhealthy practices can be the death sentence for that case.

We can each draw our own conclusions. You can be sure I have drawn mine.