Tort reform is good for Nevada

Rudy Manthei, Henderson

Saturday, April 4, 2009 | 2:03 a.m.

In the Tuesday story, “Attorneys hope to lift malpractice damages cap,” there were a number of factual inaccuracies, which I hope to correct.

Skipping the fact that the first 80 percent of the article was slanted in favor of trial lawyers and their legislative advocates, this article unfairly creates false ties between me and Dr. Dipak Desai. The readers of the Sun have a reasonable expectation that an article will be accurate and tell both sides of a story in a balanced way.

This article states as fact that Dr. Desai has had a “friendly relationship” with me. While the medical community in Las Vegas is small and collegial, this suggests a relationship far stronger than reality.

Similarly, this article states as fact that “Desai also has maintained a close relationship with Las Vegas surgeon S. Daniel McBride.” I have been told that the two have not spoken to each other in more than a year, which by any definition is not maintaining a close relationship.

The amazing leap taken in an effort to tie two people to Dr. Desai is neither responsible nor accurate. What’s more, it is a disservice to your readers and subscribers.

Dr. Desai contributed less than 1 percent of the total Keep Our Doctors In Nevada budget and to the best of my knowledge did not solicit a single contribution for the effort.

Trial lawyers who want to return to runaway jury awards know the facts are not on their side. The reforms are working, insurance rates are down more than 30 percent, competition is up, doctors are staying in Nevada and a recent study says Nevada residents are saving more than $380 million each year as a result of the reforms. These are facts.

If these important reforms, which nearly 60 percent of Nevada voters supported, are overturned, it will have a devastating effect on the residents of this state and the millions of visitors who drive our economy. Health care costs will rise, doctors will leave and, most important, people will not have appropriate access to health care.

It is not my job to defend Dr. Desai or any other physician. I have, for years, been an outspoken advocate of tougher penalties for doctors who abuse the public trust. There is no doubt our health care system needs reforms, but a knee-jerk reaction that could well lead not only to physicians leaving the state, but also the trauma center and hospitals closing their doors, would be an incredibly shortsighted mistake.

The writer is a medical doctor and chairman of Keep Our Doctors In Nevada.