The family of Bernard Kiehne would love the chance to investigate the circumstances of his death after he underwent surgery at the hands of Jayant Patel.

But they will never get the chance because his body was cremated.

Son Norm Kiehne, 65, was aghast to find his father’s death certificate stated he dies of malnutrition following an operation by the name dubbed Dr Death.

The family now wants answers about how he really died.

It was revealed last week Dr Patel allegedly falsified death certificates to cover up his mistakes and that Coroner Michael Barnes would consider exhuming bodies of those whose deaths may have been hastened by his surgery.

Bernard Kiehne was admitted to Bundaberg Base Hospital last year with severe abdominal pain and his son believes “they did not clean dad out properly and he died of septicaemia or another infection”.

“He suffered terribly in the three weeks before he died.

“If something happened on that table I want answers and if someone knows something they need full protection,” Mr Kiehne said.

He believes only a royal commission will protect nurses and others in the operating theatre who may have observed any negligence.

A successful banana farmer, Mr Kiehne is ready to retire and more interested in justice than any compensation that may follow a class action being handled by Brisbane firm Carter Capner Lawyers.

“The hospital is supposed to be the one place in the community where people can feel safer in going to, that they or their relatives will get the best possible service,” he said.

“The nurses and other staff were absolutely wonderful but look at what can still happen.”

The troubles for Bernard Kiehne, who died at 94 after a farming life, began when he was admitted for a colostomy on July 31 last year.

Dr Patel told his family that when he opened Mr Kiehne up his bowel burst but he promised that he had “cleaned it all out”.

The patriarch was sent to the intensive care until where he remained on a ventilator until he died on August 17.

“He was never malnourished,” Mr Kiehne said. “He always ate well and was strong and never touched a drop of alcohol. Even up to when he died he was reasonably fit despite his condition.”