Perwaiz is already serving a 59-year prison sentence for medical fraud. While his conviction is well known, the new lawsuit shifts the spotlight to the hospital’s leadership and their alleged role in allowing the abuse to continue.
Lawsuit targets hospital leadership, not just the doctor
The women allege that executives at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center were aware of Perwaiz’s pattern of unnecessary operations and still allowed him to continue practicing. According to the lawsuit, hospital authorities did not take timely action to protect patients, even as warning signs mounted.
The plaintiffs argue that the damage they suffered could have been prevented if the hospital had intervened earlier.
Unnecessary hysterectomies and invasive procedures
For decades, Javaid Perwaiz told his patients they faced serious and immediate health risks and needed surgery. Many of those procedures were invasive and irreversible. They included hysterectomies and dilation and curettage surgeries, commonly known as D&C, which are used after miscarriages or to treat heavy bleeding.
In several cases, Perwaiz even falsified pregnant patients’ due dates so he could induce labour early to suit his own schedule.
Medicaid patients and millions in fraudulent billing
Most of Perwaiz’s patients were covered by Medicaid. Investigators found that the more surgeries he performed, the more money he made. Over a span of 10 years, more than $20 million was billed through fraudulent claims.During this period, Perwaiz lived an extravagant lifestyle. He owned five luxury cars and regularly shopped at high-end stores, funded by money earned from unnecessary medical procedures.
Long-lasting trauma for patients
The impact on patients was severe and life-altering. Many women were left traumatised after undergoing surgeries they did not need. Some suffered permanent physical harm, including incontinence and the inability to have sex.
The emotional toll, according to the lawsuit, continues to affect many of the victims years later.
FBI tip exposed the malpractice
The case came to light after the FBI received a tip that women were arriving at the hospital without fully understanding what operations they were about to undergo. This triggered a deeper investigation into Perwaiz’s practices.
The alleged malpractice continued between 2010 and 2019. When Perwaiz was finally arrested, the hospital distanced itself from him and claimed it was unaware of his misconduct.
Perwaiz’s medical licence was cancelled in 2020. In 2021, a court sentenced him to 59 years in prison for medical fraud.
