A Kaiser transplant surgeon is under investigation due to allegations that he purposely hastened a patient's death in order to harvest his organs for transplants. San Luis Obispo police and the Medical Board of California are examining whether Dr. Hootan Roozrokh gave high doses of a strong painkiller to Ruben Navarro, the patient. Another surgeon--Dr. Arturo Martinez--is also under investigation.
Navarro was in a long-term care facility when he was found unresponsive and taken to the hospital. After being placed on life support, his family agreed to donate his organs when it became apparent Navarro would not survive. Roozrokh was called to the hospital to be on hand when the patient died, but laws forbid transplant surgeons from treating patients before their death. However, nurses reported that Dr. Roozrokh was in the operating room, directing the administration of drugs to the patient. After the incident, nurses immediately reported their concerns to their superiors.
For more on the investigation:
- read this article from the L.A. Times
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