I'm a Hedley Thomas, and this is my investigation into a shocking scandal in the places in which we should all feel safe, our public hospitals.

Sick to Death is the true story of a senior surgeon's lies, manipulation and gross negligence, and the herculean effort it took to finally stop him.

Every time I see him walk in the unit, I feel sick.

What's it going to do?

Now?

Who's he going to kill?

Now?

For years, doctor Giant Vittel, the director of surgery at Bunderberg Hospital, left a trail of death and horrific injury.

The first patient that he did came back brain dead.

It's too awful to be true.

Inside the ICU, one nurse saw it all.

I think he had a god complex.

Tony Hoffman tried to sound the alarm going to her superior is fourteen times.

I put in that major complaint and then they awarded Patel's employee of the month.

Blocked at every turn.

Tony took a huge risk approaching her local MP rob messenger.

So when you came to me and were scared, I could understand why, because I had an understanding of the culture of fear that dispermeated Queensland health at the time.

The stories were terrifying patients operated on without proper anesthetic.

In one of the most horrific cases, a patient named Des Bramage died after Patel's intervention.

Patel repeatedly stabbed him in the heart to try and drain off this fluid that didn't exist, and on autopsy was found and completely abraided the left engricle.

He should have been charged criminally over DES's death.

With a bureaucracy failing to act, Tony and a trusted colleague called investigative journalist Hedley Thomas.

Dr Patel didn't become a bad surgeon overnight.

The key to trying to crack this case really lay in doing some research into Patel's history.

The scandal that followed led to a Royal commission.

Patel has pleaded not guilty in Brisbane Supreme Court, but it came at great personal cost for Tony.

Professionally it was suicide.

Personally, it's been very, very difficult.

In this series, Headley looks into the police investigation of Patel and where the Queensland prosecution of the surgeon went wrong.

Sick to Death premieres On November fourteen, subscribers to The Australian here new episodes first at Sick todeathpodcast dot com and The Australians App.

Now for the first time, The Australian subscribers can also choose to listen to these episodes first on Apple podcasts by connecting their subscriptions.

Just search sick to Death in Apple Podcasts and follow the prompts.