A Florida doctor has been placed on probation after state health officials revealed he performed a colonoscopy without his hearing aids, unaware that the patient was not fully sedated. The incident, which occurred on June 5, 2023, at a surgery center in Tampa, has raised concerns about patient safety and the responsibilities of healthcare providers.
Dr. Ishwari Prasad, who has been practicing medicine since the early 1980s, was accused of medical malpractice in an administrative complaint filed by the Florida Department of Health. According to the complaint, Prasad failed to immediately stop the colonoscopy when the patient began yelling during the procedure, signaling that they were not fully sedated. The standard of care requires that a colonoscopy be halted if the patient is not under full sedation, but Prasad allegedly continued the procedure.
In addition to this incident, the complaint also details a second colonoscopy performed by Prasad on the same day. During this procedure, Prasad allegedly delegated part of the process to a surgical technician who is not a licensed physician, a violation of medical practice standards.
Crucially, the complaint notes that Prasad relies on assistive hearing devices to communicate with his surgical team. However, during both procedures on June 5, Prasad was not wearing his hearing aids, which likely contributed to his failure to recognize that the patient was in distress.
Dr. Prasad did not respond to requests for comment on the situation.
The complaint, which was filed in October, accuses Prasad of two counts of medical malpractice. In a settlement reached earlier this year, Prasad was fined $7,500 and placed on probation, which restricts him from performing gastroenterology procedures. The settlement also states that Prasad neither admitted nor denied the allegations brought against him.
Dr. Prasad’s medical career spans several decades, with a focus on gastroenterology and internal medicine. He began practicing in the early 1980s in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey before obtaining his Florida medical license in 1990.
The incident has sparked discussions about the importance of communication devices for healthcare providers, particularly those with hearing impairments. It also highlights the critical need for strict adherence to medical protocols to ensure patient safety during procedures.
The Florida Board of Medicine’s decision to place Dr. Prasad on probation underscores the gravity of the situation and serves as a reminder of the responsibilities that come with providing medical care.