12.27.2005

Doc Loses Medical License For Administering Weedkillers


The licence of a 70-year old Indian American doctor has been suspended by the Medical Board of Georgia state for allegedly using insecticides to treat cancer patients and prescribing unauthorised drugs.

The Board took the decision unanimously at a 30-minute meeting on Thursday and the notice was served on the doctor, Totada R. Shanthaveerappa a little later.

The nine-member Board’s unanimous action came after a federal grand jury had earlier in the week accused the doctor, who practices in Stockbridge, of using weed killer and insecticide to treat patients.

The jury had returned an 87-count indictment which, among other things, accuses him of falsely billing insurance companies by indicating that he was using approved drugs.

The prosecutors alleged that Shanthaveerappa, also known as T. R. Shantha, was using dinitrophenol, or DNP, a weed killer and insecticide Chemail Ukrain and hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat patients.

His lawyer Dan Conaway told media that the doctor, who calls himself an alternative healer, would stop treating the patients but his clinic would remain open with other doctors continuing to attend on the patients.


I think the "take home message" is weed-b-gon = doc-b-gon for this physician. Hopefully, this is rather an unusual case.

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