A Medical Hero Warring Against the Demons of Ethnic and Professional Prejudice

Dr.Suketu Nanavati's is a story of courage, will and deliberation against the demons of suppression, envy and discrimination. A man, whose moral mission is to fight relentlessly against the ogres of injustice. Dr. Nanavati left India and came to the United States in 1970 to continue his medical education. He then became a board-certified doctor in cardiology in 1977. Full of zeal and wanting to blossom and fructify in the world of medicine, he served in a hospital in Dubois, Pennsylvania. Later on, he received medical privileges at Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital (now renamed Cape Regional Medical Center). Between 1979 and this year, he worked at this hospital as a senior cardiologist with two boards—the Cardiology Board and Internal Medicine Board. Because of his brilliance, qualifications, experience and commitment, he was appointed president of the hospital in 2002.

He explained that this hospital and the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) have entered into a clinical affiliation to provide expanded cancer and cardiovascular services and programs for residents and visitors of Cape May County and surrounding shore communities. He loved his job there. But now he has become a target of suppression and alienation. His troubles began in 1992 when the State Board initiated an investigation against him for not treating an auto-accident patient for depression. The Board of Examiners dismissed the case as frivolous and reprimanded him for not keeping proper records. Without knowing the truth and depth of his case, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield dropped him as a participating physician. This led him to suffer tremendous financial difficulties since he could now only treat a limited amount of patients who could pay. After a long court battle with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, he won a lawsuit but the judge in a subsequent ruling ruled that he would receive no benefits in his case against this health insurer. Many patients, insured with this insurer, came back for Dr. Nanavati to treat them. Some of them suffered from serious heart condition and they died as he couldn't treat any of them. Dr. Nanavati said, "Blue Cross and Blue Shield had no shame or remorse."

Dr.Suketu Nanavati

This is the scenario and background of Dr. Nanavati's troubles. Now at the hospi-  tal that he has so loved and served with all his heart, a vicious, serpentine creature of politics, jealousy and suppression has raised its head. Dr. Nanavati alleges that though he is the most qualified and experienced cardiologist at the Cape Regional Medical Center, he has been overtly or covertly prevented from performing his duties. Several patients came to see him and though he was working in the hospital at that time, they were told that he was not available or that he was absent. Though many cases relate to cardiovascular problems, he is not allowed to work or give an opinion on them. At a staff meeting, he tried in an amicable manner to point this out, but the administrators slighted him and accused him of disruptive behavior.

A previous mayor, Charles M. Leusner of Middle Township confirmed Dr. Nanavati's claim. He said that several people were denied seeing Dr. Nanavati. He himself had experienced this but being influential and persistent, he demanded his right to see a doctor he wanted when he suffered a heart attack on January 24, 2004. His family located Dr. Nanavati, who regarded him as a family-member and went beyond what any ordinary doctor would do to save his life.

"The board of trustees and administration of the Cape Regional Medical Center are not true representatives of the Middle Township community. Nether do they reflect the needs of the people who live here. They represent their own self-interest. In my opinion, this hospital needs to be taken over by health care facilities like Atlantic Care and Shore Memorial Hospital so as to provide health care to the community, which is not done at the moment," said Leusner.

Jane Little-Poulliot,a brave technician.

"Said Jane Little-Poulliot, my nightmare began when I got involved in a stress test with Dr. Boris and a child. During the test, the patient began developing severe hypotension, sweating and lack of breath. I told Dr. Boris to stop the test but he decided to continue. The result was cardiac arrest. I still remember his voice "Please don't let me die. I want to live, please." Despite of assurances given by Dr. Napoleon I was thrown to the wolves for many years and told to keep my mouth shut because Dr. Boris brought too much money to hospital. I tried contacting the BTMH Board of Governor, the press, but was met without any success." Jane Little- Poulliot, an employee working in the stress lab was victimized for informing the senior hospital officials about negligence of a particular doctor.

Kathleen Beach said she is now a patient of Dr. Nanavati. Some time in August 2008, she was hospitalized at the Cape Regional Medical Center for cardiac problems in the Post Critical Care department and Dr. Levit did a cardiac catheterization on her. One night at 2:00AM, she got up to go to the bathroom. Weak and sick, she fell on the floor and called for help. The Rapid Response with several doctors and nurses came. They did tests on her and found that her heartbeat was low and that they couldn't get a blood pressure. As her condition worsened, they transferred her to the Intensive Care Unit. After a few nurses tried to help her and getting no good results, they called Dr Faris Samir.

Cape Regional Medical Center

She heard the nurses say that that he would not come. Moreover, she knew (and the nurses knew) that she was dying. The nurses called Dr. Nanavati around 4:00 to 4:30AM. He turned up promptly and like an angel, he saved her life. Robert Matthews, the operator of the Dry Rock Restaurant and previous Freeholder in a New Jersey neighborhood said that Dr. Nanavati is his family doctor and he has saved his life three times. On one occasion, he suffered a stroke and heart attack simultaneously. He thought he would not survive it but Dr. Nanavati made the impossible possible. "In my opinion Dr. Nanavati is discriminated against at the Cape Regional Medical Center. I don't have anything against the hospital but I have strong feelings against the administration. The staff and nurses are outstanding at the hospital." When contacted, Dr. Falvina, the Vice President of Medical Affairs refused to speak with this correspondent and hung up his telephone. Dr. Nanavati's fight is not a fight for his own but a fight for all against the many monsters of injustice. He has made a name for himself as a medical hero warring against the demons of ethnic and professional injustice.

In the latest salvo fired against Dr. Nanavati, Dr. Richard Falivena, vice president of medical affairs at the Cape Regional Medical Center has asked staff members to complete a PULSE (Physician Universal Leadership Skills Education) program survey "so that Nanavati can receive feedback about his leadership style," reports writer By Joe Hart in the December 1, 2009, edition of the Cape May County Herald. Among the things that the survey asks are whether Dr. Nanavati:

• Treats team members with respect
• Is open to suggestions
• Is truthful and straightforward
• Unfairly "badmouths" the facility, unit or colleagues
• Overreacts and defensive to suggestions
• Uses offensive gestures when angry, such as rolls eyes, glares
• When angry at others, implies or threatens retaliation
• Makes inappropriate and unwanted sexual comments/gestures
• Makes prejudiced comments or acts discriminatory

But the valiant doctor is undeterred. He says, "Silencing me did not work 30 years ago and it will not work now. We are talking about people's lives, not some commodity."

The constant professional contempt, denial of access to the emergency room and abysmal patient treatment options forced the good Dr. Nanavati to file a civil action lawsuit against the Cape Regional Medical Hospital on May 25, 2010.

[ BY DR. CHURAUMANIE BISSUNDYAL ]