A Missouri doctor lost his medical license in June for amputating a patient’s toe on his porch.
A patient’s gangrenous toe was amputated on Dr. John Ure’s back porch in May of 2016 without running water, restrooms, or an exam table, the Springfield News-Leader reported. Documents from the Board of Registration for the Healing Arts said that the doctor’s Deepwater, Missouri, office was also used as a machine shed. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: University Of Minnesota Medical School Application Features Question About George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks)
A Missouri doctor loses his state medical license after amputating a patient’s gangrenous toe on the porch of his rural office. https://t.co/pSSU9aOdIZ
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 19, 2020
Ure reportedly said that he had a “lapse in judgment” and that the amputation was “not done optimally,” according to the Springfield News-Leader.
The medical board also said that Ure improperly gave painkillers to 2 patients.
The 73-year-old doctor told the Associated Press that it was “a travesty of justice” to revoke his medical license. He said that he performed the procedure to save the life of his friend, who was afraid of hospitals and refused to go to one.
“Everything was absolutely perfectly sterile, out in the bright sunshine and fresh air,” Ure said according to the Associated Press.
Ure cannot re-apply for a medical license for 2 years.