Doctor Denies Blame in Hepatitis C Outbreak"
Associated Press (09.09.03)::Phil Rooney

Dr. Tahir Javed, who is accused of using unsanitary practices that
caused the hepatitis C infections of 99 patients at his Nebraska
cancer clinic has denied any wrongdoing. The patients, who were
receiving treatment at Javed's Fremont Cancer Clinic, contracted
hepatitis C between March 2000 and December 2001. One of the
infected patients has died.

Nebraska filed a petition against Javed in July that could result in
the loss of his medical license. More than 80 lawsuits have been
filed against the doctor. Although the state was not made aware of
problems at the clinic until September 2002, two months after Javed
left the country, area doctors had warned Javed for months that
something was amiss, the state's petition contends.

Javed, who is now Punjab health minister in northeastern Pakistan,
told Pakistan's Daily Times newspaper that the allegations are part
of anti-Muslim propaganda in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks against the United States. "There is currently an
anti-Muslim campaign in America that is also targeting educated
Muslims," he told the paper. But attorney James Allen Davis, who
represents about 20 lawsuit plaintiffs, said concerns about Javed
were raised more than two years before the attacks.

Javed said he was not responsible for the negligence of his nurses
or other staff. He said it is ridiculous to blame him for the
outbreak since hepatitis C takes more than three years to develop,
the length of time he was in charge of the clinic.

Javed challenged Nebraska to try and revoke his medical license in
New York, where he said he remains on four prominent medical boards
and can still practice medicine. He also denied allegations of
sexual misconduct with a patient.