An Ocean County doctor believed to be at the center of a cluster of Hepatitis-B goes before state medical examiners today. Their decision will determine whether Dr. Parvez Dara will surrender his license or continue practicing - and if so, under what terms.Two reports of the illness from patients under the doctor's care prompted officials at the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services to notify the Ocean County Health Department. Staffers then sent out notices to about 2700 of Dr. Dara's patients, dating back seven years. He and his staff have since stopped performing procedures involving blood removal and skin penetration, at his offices in Toms River and Manchester.
Lawyers representing the doctor maintain that he's not responsible for any of the reported cases. They've accused county health officials of overreacting with the mass mailing, and of using Dr. Dara to cover their own negligence. Members of the department are among those subpoenaed to testify at today's hearing.
The Board of Medical Examiners functions within the state Department of Community Affairs. DCA spokesman Jeff Lamb says that the hearings are a painstaking process. The length, he says, "depends on the number of witnesses, and the amount of evidence to be presented. These hearings typically go all day. Five or six hours is not unusual."
But the methodical process reflects the gravity of a professional career potentially at stake. "The board is a disciplinary body," Lamb says. "The process affords both sides the opportunity to present the evidence and the facts." Lamb adds that temporary license suspensions have no preset time frame. If the panel issues a temporary suspension, it remains in place until they reconvene to recommend further action - either reinstatement, continuance, or permanent revocation.
by Tom Mongelli
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