Senator Morahan And Assemblyman Zebrowski Announce Legislation On Dangerous Doctors

Create new felony sanctions for Medical professionals who infect patients with communicable diseases through reckless conduct such as re-using needles and sharps.
• Mandate the immediate license suspension of any physician when the Health Commissioner determines that patients could have been exposed to communicable diseases through such reckless conduct.
• Extend the statute of limitations in civil suits for medical malpractice until 30 months from the date a patient is informed that they may have been exposed to a communicable disease by the reckless conduct of a health care provider.

“I understand the tremendous impact that Hepatitis C has on patients and their families,” Zebrowski said.  “It’s truly shocking that the Health Department failed to address this in a comprehensive manner for three years.  Commissioner Daines and the Health Department need to be held accountable for this fundamental failure to protect and notify the public.”

New York’s system of doctor discipline clearly failed in this case,” Morahan declared.  “If a doctor potentially infects hundreds of innocent patients with deadly diseases, he needs more than a letter telling him not to do it again.  The entire system of policing bad doctors needs to be reviewed.”

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