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| Doctor Wayne Harrington |
(Scroll down for video) A doctor infected as many as 7,000 patients after running a dirty office and failing sterilize his equipment, according to health officials in Oklahoma.
The oral surgeon, who was identified as Doctor Wayne Harrington could have given thousands of patients HIV and / or hepatitis, the Tulsa Health Department announced after a raid of his office and discovered the lack of sterilized equipment in the office.
The dental state board is looking into this troubling case and even the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency is getting involved because a patient who tested positive for hepatitis C and HIV claimed her only risk factor was a recent dentist appointment.
Following a review of Harrington’s office, authorities found rusty tools and other clear violations that Susan Rogers, who is the executive director of the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry, said is known as a perfect storm for disease to spread.
Harrington and his team told investigators that the surgeon served a "high population of patients of known carriers of infectious diseases," based on a complaint filed by the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry.
The doctor also allowed unlicensed dental care assistants to give the medication, while the medicine cabinets simply stayed unlocked and unattended.
“This doctor potentially caused thousands of cases of serious infections. HIV is a terrible and incurable disease. A doctor has a responsibility to patients to keep them healthy and not make them sick. Such behavior will not be tolerated,” a law enforcement official told YourJewishNews.com.
More than 7,000 patients were exposed to Harrington and the Tulsa Health Department said that these people will receive letters in the mail informing them of the risks and the necessary steps to get free testing.Mobile video not loading? Click here to view