CHESAPEAKE, Va. — More than 500 women are seeking $10 million each from Chesapeake Regional Medical Center (CRMC) in connection with unnecessary operations conducted by a former doctor, according to a complaint obtained by News 3 on Tuesday.
The complaint specifically names three defendants: James Reese Jackson, Peter Bastone, and Wynn Dixon. Jackson has served as the president and CEO of CRMC since Dec. 1, 2016 — Bastone and Dixon are his predecessors.
The complaint specifically accuses the defendants of "enabling former physician Javaid Perwaiz to perform unnecessary, uninformed, harmful, invasive, unlawful, and life-altering gynecologic medical procedures on them and other women, for nearly a decade, at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, despite repeated reports and clear evidence of Perwaiz’s prior misconduct in his obstetrics and gynecology practice."
True Crime 757 Podcast: The 'incalculable' human toll of convicted OBGYN Perwaiz and his unnecessary surgeries
Perwaiz, a former doctor, is currently serving a 59-year-long federal prison sentence for conducting irreversible hysterectomies, improper sterilizations, and other medically unnecessary procedures for over a decade. He misled women about their health, telling some they had cancer when they did not, according to court records. Perwaiz was convicted in 2020.
The complaint also alleges that the defendants’ relationship with Perwaiz led to safety concerns and abnormal practices involving the former doctor being ignored. It further states that Perwaiz’s continued credentialing and privileging as a doctor at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center was allowed “based on financial motivation rather than patient safety or quality standards.”
On Jan. 8, 2025, CRMC was indicted by a grand jury due to allegations that the hospital was complicit in Perwaiz's crimes.
Watch previous coverage: Indictment of Chesapeake Regional alleges hospital was complicit in former OBGYN's crimes
Prosecutors alleged that CRMC allowed Perwaiz to work there from 1984 until 2019, despite being aware that his medical privileges had been terminated at Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth for performing unnecessary surgeries. Last week, a judge dismissed the hospital's attempts to throw out the case.
Read the full indictment:
Chesapeake
Grand jury indictment of Chesapeake Regional Medical Center
From 2010 to 2019, the hospital reportedly received about $18.5 million in reimbursements from healthcare benefit programs for surgeries performed by Perwaiz. The indictment also indicates that some employees raised concerns regarding his conduct, but no action was taken.
Chesapeake Regional Healthcare sent the following statement to News 3:
"The allegations that form the primary basis for this lawsuit were taken by Dr. Javaid Perwaiz - who has never been an employee of Chesapeake Regional Healthcare (CRH). His actions, for which he is now serving a lengthy prison sentence, occurred without the knowledge of the organization. CRH strives to provide the best care to its patients, including through its medical staff physicians. Unfortunately, privacy laws prohibit us from commenting further on these allegations."
News 3 will be speaking with the attorneys representing the plaintiffs in this case, check back for updates.
