The documentary series “Breaking the oath — a doctor in the dock,” premiering on Globoplay on January 8, sheds light on unprecedented details of the investigation against surgeon João Couto Neto, suspected of causing the deaths of at least 40 patients and injuring 108 others. The production reveals how the doctor transformed surgical operations into a sort of “production line,” abandoning technical and ethical criteria in the name of profit — according to the findings of the Rio Grande do Sul civil police.
According to investigators, Couto Neto adopted systematic risky practices, performed procedures at an industrial pace and neglected postoperative follow-up. The result would have been a sequence of serious failures, irreversible damage and deaths that are now the focus of criminal proceedings and trials.
The episodes also contextualize the case within a broader, more disturbing scenario. According to data from the National Council of Justice, lawsuits for moral and material damages in the health sector have increased by 161% in five years. Between 2020 and 2024, 97 doctors were dismissed by the Federal Council of Medicine – which represents 35% of the professionals judged over the period, according to a survey by the NGO Ficam Sabendo.
Another fact that attracts attention is the accelerated growth of medical schools in the country: they increased from 181 in 2010 to 448 in June 2025, an increase of 147%, according to the Ministry of Education – a movement which, according to the experts interviewed in the series, puts pressure on training, supervision and the quality of professional practice.
“Break of Oath – a doctor in the box” is directed by Thiago Guimarães, produced by Clarissa Cavalcanti, screenplay by Thiago Guimarães and Renata Matarazzo, produced by Stephanie Lotufo and photography by Adriano Ferreira. All three episodes will be available on Globoplay from January 8.
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