Skip to main content

Gujarat link of controversial US doctor who 'forced' WHO quiz Trump's wonder drug

Dr Sapan Desai
By Rajiv Shah
A top American doctor, Sapan Sharankishor Desai, born and raised in the “affluent” North Shore (Chicago) region of Illinois by Indian parents, at one point of time involved in NGO activity through  dedicated to “improving” the lives of the impoverished in Gujarat, is in the eyes of a major international storm following his paper (retracted) in a “Lancet” questioning Donald Trump-promoted drug hydroxychloroquine.
The paper, published on May 22, co-authored by Dr Desai with Dr Prof Mandeep R Mehra (first author), Prof Frank Ruschitzka and Amit N Patel, puts to question the drug’s efficacy in the fight against Covid-19, suggesting it has an adverse impact on patients. The data released in the paper are  considered a major reason why the World Health Organization (WHO) and research institutes around the world decided to halt the drug’s trials.
The controversy around Dr Desai is found reflected in an investigation in “The Guardian”, which states, a tiny US company, Surgisphere, headed by Dr Desai, was “behind flawed data” leading WHO and governments to change their health policy vis-a-vis the Trump-touted “wonder drug”. WHO, however, announced resumption of the drug’s global trial following its data safety monitoring committee found there was “no increased risk of death” from the drug.
While Dr Desai’s India connection isn’t easily available, Enacademic.com, a site having links to reference materials/dictionaries and encyclopedias, does notes his Gujarat connection: That he is “the founder and Director of the New India Charity Endeavor (NICE), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization", which funded an NGO that "dedicated to improving the lives of the impoverished in the state of Gujarat, India.”
While no information is available on the NGO site on or about Dr Desai’s India connection, Enacademic.com is apparently the only spot where it is suggested that, through NICE, Desai, during his student days may have “worked with scientists, engineers, physicians, and politicians in India to improve the quality of life of the most under-represented groups of people in India.”
“The construction of an irrigation system, shared water supply, and shelters for more than 300 people was completed in 2002. The construction of a modern library with computer and satellite access was completed in 2005”, claims Enacademic.com, adding, there were also plans to build a modern hospital “serving the most needy.”
The NGO site's opening page
An effort to enter into the NGO site (http://www.desaifoundation.com/), however, was a non-starter. On being opened, it states, “Oops This Page Could Not be Found!”, though further clicks takes one to medical activities of Surgisphere, though there is no information on India. The site has Surgisphere logo on the top left, and its design is similar to that of Surgisphere. As for NICE, it does not seem to have a web presence. The NGO site says at the bottom "Copyright © 2007 - 2020 Surgisphere Corporation." Dr Desai, presumably, abandoned his NGO activity in Gujarat.
Born in 1979, Dr Desai, who speaks in Spanish, Gujarati and English, appears to have had a chequered academic career. MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, CLSSMBB, and currently CEO of the Surgisphere Corporation, he obtained his MD and PhD in anatomy and cell biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, MBA in healthcare management from the Western Governors University, and completed his general surgery training at Duke University, where he was faculty in 2011-2014.
The Guardian says, the tiny US company of Dr Desai was behind flawed data leading WHO and governments to change their health policy
“The Guardian” investigation, referring to the “Lancet” study, says, “The US-based company Surgisphere, whose handful of employees appear to include a science fiction writer and an adult-content model, has provided data for multiple studies on Covid-19 co-authored by its chief executive (Dr Desai), but has so far failed to adequately explain its data or methodology.”
Making serious allegations against Dr Desai and the firm he heads, “The Guardian” claims, “A search of publicly available material suggests several of Surgisphere’s employees have little or no data or scientific background. An employee listed as a science editor appears to be a science fiction author and fantasy artist. Another employee listed as a marketing executive is an adult model and events hostess.”
“The Guardian” continues, “The company’s LinkedIn page has fewer than 100 followers and last week listed just six employees. This was changed to three employees as of Wednesday (June 3)... While Surgisphere claims to run one of the largest and fastest hospital databases in the world, it has almost no online presence. Its Twitter handle has fewer than 170 followers, with no posts between October 2017 and March 2020.”
It adds, “Until Monday (June 1), the ‘get in touch’ link on Surgisphere’s homepage redirected to a WordPress template for a cryptocurrency website, raising questions about how hospitals could easily contact the company to join its database.”
“The Guardian” says, “Desai has been named in three medical malpractice suits, unrelated to the Surgisphere database. In an interview with the 'Scientist', Desai previously described the allegations as “unfounded”. In 2008, Desai launched a crowdfunding campaign on the website Indiegogo promoting a wearable ‘next generation human augmentation device that can help you achieve what you never thought was possible’. The device never came to fruition.”
Lancet editor Rchard Horton
“The Guardian” states, “An examination of Desai’s background found that the vascular surgeon has been named in three medical malpractice suits in the US, two of them filed in November 2019. In one case, a lawsuit filed by a patient, Joseph Vitagliano, accused Desai and Northwest Community Hospital in Illinois, where he worked until recently, of being ‘careless and negligent’, leading to permanent damage following surgery.”
After WHO decided to reverse its decision on hydroxychloroquine, “Desai’s Wikipedia page has been deleted following questions about Surgisphere and his history, first raised in 2010”, “The Guardian says. Meanwhile, “Lancet” editor Richard Horton has been quoted as saying, “Given the questions raised about the reliability of the data gathered by Surgisphere, we have issued an Expression of Concern, pending further investigation.”
“An independent data audit is currently underway and we trust that this review, which should be completed within the next week, will tell us more about the status of the findings reported in the paper by Mandeep Mehra and colleagues”, adds Horton.

Comments

OEHNI said…
The article gives good information. Lancet has retracted the paper published by it
Indian have brains but they are often misused. That said, it is not right to fool around with serious concerns specially in such times as at present.

TRENDING

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Central pollution watchdog sees red in Union ministry labelling waste to energy green

By Chythenyen Devika Kulasekaran*  “Destructors”, “incinerators” and “waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration” all mean the same thing – indiscriminate burning of garbage! Having a history of about one and a half centuries, WTE incinerators have seen several reboots over the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. 

First-of-its-kind? 'Eco-friendly, low cost' sewage treatment system installed in Gujarat

Counterview Desk Following the installation of the Unconventional Decentralized Multi-Stage Reactor (UDMSR) for sewage treatment, a note on what is claimed to be the  first-of-its-kind technology said, the treated sewage from this system “can be directly utilized for agricultural purposes”, even as proving to be a “saviour in the times of water crisis.”

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Indo-Bangla border: Farmers facing 'illegal obstacles' in harvesting, transporting yields

  Counterview Desk  In a representation to the chairperson, National Human Rights Commission, human rights defender Kirity Roy, who is secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), has said that Border Security Force (BSF) personnel are creating "illegal obstacles" for farmers seeking to harvest their ripened yields and transport them to the market in village Jhaukuthi of Cooch Behar district.

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

Wasteland, a colonial legacy, being used to 'give away' vast tracts to Ratnagiri refinery

By Fouziya Tehzeeb* William D’Souza, a 55-year old farmer from Kuthethur, Mangalore, was busy mixing cattle feed when we arrived at his doorsteps. Around 25 km from the bustling city of Mangalore, Kuthethur is a lush green village with thick vegetation. On the way to William’s house the idyllic view gets blocked by the flares and smoke arising from the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL).

CAA disregards India's inclusive plural ethos, 'betrays' ideals of freedom struggle: PUCL

Counterview Desk    "Outraged" at the move of the Central government to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA 2019) weeks before the election, the top rights group, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has demanded that the law be repealed. 

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Invincible, Modi 'taller' than BJP, RSS: An opportunity for Congress beyond 2024?

By NS Venkataraman*  With the announcement of poll schedule for the 2024 parliamentary election, there is palpable excitement and expectation amongst the countrymen  about the shape of things to happen in India after the  results of the election would be announced. There is also speculation abroad about the future course of developments in India.