Premier of Australian state of Queensland Peter Beattie has called on rogue surgeon Jayant Patel of Indian origin to voluntarily return from the United States to face justice in Australia.
Dr Patel has been linked to the deaths of 17 patients at Bundaberg Base Hospital in the state's south-east.
The surgeon dubbed 'Dr Death' fled to the United States in 2005 after allegations of incompetence were leveled against him as he was the director of surgery at the hospital.
Last November, warrants were issued for his arrest on a number of charges, including three of manslaughter and five of causing grievous bodily harm, and authorities are working to extradite him from the US.
'If Jayant Patel is really serious about defending himself then what he should do is get on an airplane and come home,' the premier said, according to The Age report.
'If he wants to avoid extradition, if he wants to face up to what happened in Bundaberg... then here is the chance to do it,' he said.
Meanwhile, a report in Sydney Morning Herald said that a television report showed footage of Dr Patel telling neighbours in the United States that charges against him in Australia have been dropped.
The network said Dr Patel reportedly told neighbours that Australia was not proceeding with moves to extradite him. He said the manslaughter, grievous bodily harm and fraud charges against him had been dropped.
'He has been telling the neighbours over there that we have dropped the charges,' Bundaberg Patients' Support Group spokeswoman Beryl Crosby said, adding, 'I was on the blower to the Attorney-General (Kerry Shine) yesterday and got an update that extradition and everything is going ahead according to their plan, I guess.'
