When someone becomes ill, friends and family members turn to the best available doctor in town for that person\’s treatment. However, if the doctor commits an error while diagnosing the illness, the consequences can be severe. The consequences may be even worse if that doctor commits a deliberate misdiagnosis in order to further his or her own interests. A recent incident in Oklahoma is a good example of that.
According to reports, a 52-year-old abortionist from Oklahoma was recently charged with felony racketeering by the state\’s Attorney General for purposely misdiagnosing patients as pregnant and then prescribing expensive abortion medications. The Attorney General, in his statement, said that the charges are for misusing the privileges of his profession and defrauding and endangering vulnerable women. The lawyer representing the suspected doctor said that his client will make a \”not guilty\” plea.
The scam was uncovered following a complaint by a woman who claimed that the doctor had performed an abortion procedure on her although she was not pregnant. Undercover agents from the Oklahoma Medical Licensure Board and the Oklahoma City Police Department visited the doctor, posing as patients. Reportedly, the doctor performed ultrasounds and pregnancy tests and stated that they were pregnant. Additionally, he further went on to prescribe medicines and gave instructions for administering those medications. For the entire unnecessary treatment, he charged the undercover patients the usual fees.
Although most doctors do not engage in such activities, there remains the possibility of being scammed. The risks are extremely high for a patient because a misdiagnosis can have a long-term impact. Therefore, such medical malpractice must be taken seriously immediately. However, because medical malpractice laws may not be known to many people, the victim of such medical malpractice may wish to consult an attorney for guidance.
Source: WND.com, \”Abortionist Charged with Felony Racketeering,\” Bob Unruh, Dec. 23, 2014