Dr. Death decides to face the music in Australia

The news that the Indian-born doctor, surgeon Jayant Patel, dubbed 'Dr Death' will return to Australia voluntarily has been welcomed by Australian authorities and the doctor's former patients.

Dr. Patel was arrested in the United States in March after authorities in Queensland laid a range of charges against him, including three of manslaughter.

The doctor who is allegedly linked to the deaths of 17 patients at Bunderberg hospital has abandoned his fight against extradition from the United States, and consented to a transfer to Australia.

Dr. Patel who is also a U.S. citizen, was expected to fight extradition and his lawyer says Patel's consent to being transferred to Australia reflects his willingness, desire and intent to confront the allegations on the merits, and he now accepts that he must return to Australia to contest the allegations.

Dr. Patel was director of surgery at Bundaberg Base Hospital for two years from 2003 before fleeing to the U.S. after it was revealed he had failed to disclose when applying to work in Australia, an alleged 20-year history of botched operations and surgical malpractice claims, which banned him from surgery in New York and Oregon.

An investigation into suspicious deaths at Bundaberg was launched in March 2005 following a nurse raising the alarm over his alleged mishandling of surgical operations.

Patel's former patients say they are pleased by his decision to no longer fight the extradition as they were expecting the extradition process to be a drawn out and exhausting affair.

Premier Anna Bligh says it is good news for those whose lives have been affected and means that Dr. Patel is likely to face a court in Australia earlier than had otherwise been anticipated.

Patel's American lawyer has applied for the doctor to be released from custody before he is extradited. A U.S. judge will decide at a hearing tomorrow whether to approve Patel's extradition.