Brisbane, Feb. 20 : A senior doctor at Queensland's Bundaberg Base Hospital warned staff before he went on holidays that they shouldn''t let controversial Indian-born surgeon Dr. Jayant Patel perform operations.

Dr. Peter Miach told a Brisbane magistrate's court on Friday that he had suspicions about the quality of Dr Patel''s work after a general review showed the US-trained doctor botched every single catheter insertion he''d performed at Bundaberg Base Hospital.

Brisbane, Feb. 19 : A former high-profile police and emergency services spokesman who received official honors for his work has admitted to masturbating in front of two male backpackers.

Kevin John Loomes, 58, pleaded guilty before a Brisbane Magistrates Court today to two counts of performing an indecent act.

Loomes entered a backpacker''s hostel on Ann Street in Brisbane''s CBD last December, carrying a towel, the court was told.

Brisbane, Feb. 19 : Colo-rectal expert Brian Collopy told a Brisbane Magistrates Court today that controversial Indian-born surgeon Dr. Jayant Patel fell short of competent medical practice when he wrongly diagnosed and performed an unnecessary operation on a man who later died.

Bundaberg Base Hospital patient Mervyn Morris, 76, died in June 2003 after Dr Patel performed two operations to try to stop bleeding in his bowel.

Brisbane, Feb. 18 : Controversial Indian-born surgeon, Dr. Jayant Patel, who is currently facing a committal hearing into allegations of manslaughter over the deaths of two patients, had "unrealistic expectations" about what surgery could safely be performed at Queensland's Bundaberg Base Hospital, whistleblower nurse Toni Hoffman has told a court here.

In a 47-page statement tendered as evidence in the Brisbane Magistrates Court, Hoffman said she made her first complaint about the surgeon shortly after he started work at the hospital in April 2003.

Hoffman said she believed major procedures were too complex for Patel to be performing at the hospital because it lacked the appropriate post-operative care facilities.

Brisbane (Australia), Feb. 16 : Controversial Indian-born surgeon Dr. Jayant Patel should have considered safer treatment options for a patient who died after an operation, a Brisbane court has heard.

Patel, 58, has been charged with the manslaughter of James Phillips and two other patients.

He was the director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital in Queensland between 2003 and 2005, and faces an additional 10 charges including fraud and grievous bodily harm, reports news. com. au.

Giving evidence on Monday via video link from Adelaide, renowned oesophagectomy specialist Dr Glyn Jamieson told the court Patel should have considered other, safer treatment options for Mr Phillips.

Brisbane, Feb. 13 : Australia managed tto cling to the Chappell-Hadlee Series, thwarting New Zealand''s push for the title at Gabba here on Friday.

Kiwi opener Martin Guptill''s fighting half-century went in vain as the visitors finished at 6 for 123 in the rain-interrupted match.

They were ahead on Duckworth-Lewis, but needed to make 156 in 20 overs to qualify the contest as a match.