Dr. Emma Igras has testified at the trial of Dr. Jayant Patel. Igras had assisted Patel in the operations. She stated that one week after being operated upon by Dr. Patel, Mervyn Morris John came in with complications.

She said his bowel was sticking through his wound. She evinced that after the first operation, 2/3 of the wound had ruptured, which necessitated the substitution of the staples and stabilization of adjoining tissue.

She testified that after the second operation, Morris’s condition improved at first, even though he reported of rectal bleeding.

His health later declined and he passed away on June 14.

Dr. Chikolwa, another colleague of Patel, declared that after the operation Morris was not a well man.

Patel has been charged with manslaughter. It is alleged that Patel’s decision to remove a part of Morris’s colon was unnecessary.

Patel is pleading his innocence. He says he is not guilty of Morris' manslaughter, as well as the manslaughter of two other patients, and causing grievous bodily harm to another man.

The charges are associated with Patel's tenure as Director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital between the years 2003 and 2005.