women were persuaded to have hysterectomies - fake claims under a national insurance scheme

As if exploitation of poor Indian women as surrogate mothers and egg donors were not enough, surgeons may have removed the wombs of 7,000 healthy women in Chhattisgarh - a poor and largely rural state in central India -- to enrich themselves by making fake claims under a national insurance scheme. Officials believe that about 2,000 women were persuaded to have hysterectomies in the last six months alone.

It is alleged that doctors frightened poor women from remote areas into having surgery by telling them that they might get cancer without it. Some women even had hysterectomies for back pain. "Panic and fright left us with no option," a 31-year-old woman, who can no longer bear children, told the Hindustan Times.

"It has become a sensitive and serious problem. We are investigating whether these surgeries were being done just for the money or were genuinely needed. The government will take stern action against those found guilty," says state health minister Amar Agrawal.

The state health department plans to take legal action against 22 clinics which apparently did unnecessary surgery and has recommended that nine doctors in the private sector be deregistered. ~ BBC, July 17

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-18873716

the concept of evidence-based medicine was highly contested within Western medicine itself

http://theconversation.edu.au/attack-on-complementary-medicine-undermines-safety-8264

"He was prepared to kill people if it saved his authority from being questioned."

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/sunday-mail/cmc-told-patient-murders-horrifying/story-e6frep2f-1226353778436

the medical board handled matters in-house, and there was no need to go to the police

Although she is co-operating with the CMC, Ms Barber said she was concerned it was not moving quickly enough.
She said the CMC failed in its oversight of the other agencies when she first sounded the alarm.
She has given the CMC the names of 18 doctors she says maimed and killed patients.
Many of the doctors are recklessly incompetent and still practising, she said.
http://www.news.com.au/national/investigators-told-killer-doctor-switched-off-life-support-on-gold-coast-hospital-patients/story-e6frfkvr-1226354390904

"Caesar judging Caesar" - utterly dysfunctional medical boards

In the end, the state's medical board, two-thirds of which are doctors, allowed the doctor to retain his registration to practise with one condition: he stop working in intensive care.

Ms Barber, who revealed a series of concerns to 7.30 in April about malpractice in Queensland hospitals, says it is a case of "Caesar judging Caesar".
She says the review of such cases should be handled by a panel of people who are "legally minded", with the assistance of medical administrators.
"It's completely and utterly dysfunctional and if you were to look in the last 10 years, those [doctors] that actually had been struck off or completely gotten rid of as a result of their incompetence would be - you could count them on one hand. Maybe five or six," she said.
The allegations have been referred to Queensland's Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC).
The CMC has appointed a former Supreme Court judge to examine what it calls a series of allegations and has referred material to the homicide squad.
Former MP Rob Messenger, who was instrumental in revealing the deeds of Dr Jayant Patel, says the case needs to go to a commission of inquiry "right now".
"It needs to go from an assessment stage to a full-blown investigation stage, but that investigation won't be effective unless witnesses are given protection," he said.
"And it's only a commission of inquiry that will be able to give potential witnesses the protection and confidence for them to come forward and tell the truth, tell their story."
The medical board declined 7:30's request for interview, but released a statement saying its role is to protect the public but that it must also be fair, lawful and provide natural justice to practitioners.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-10/doctor-accused-of-ended-patients-lives-prematurely/4122522