Patel performed unnecessary surgeries: prosecutor

An Australian court hearing the manslaughter case against Indian-American doctor Jayant Patel was told on Thursday that the surgery he performed on four men at Bundaberg Hospital were grossly negligent and unnecessary.

Prosecutor Ross Martin has over the past two days taken the jury in Patel's supreme court trial through the evidence relating to the three manslaughter charges and one count of grievous bodily harm to which Patel has pleaded not guilty, an ABC report said.

Martin also referred to the law relating to Patel's duty to carry out surgery with reasonable care and skill.

Martin said the only exception to that legal duty was in cases of necessity and that none of the operations, which are part of the charges against Patel were necessary or reasonable.

He said the Crown's case is that not only were the operations negligent, but grossly negligent and they deserve punishment.

Patel has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of Mervyn Morris, Gerardus Kemps and James Phillips during his time as director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005.

He has also pleaded not guilty to the grievous bodily harm of Ian Vowles.