Patel's friend, Texas-based surgeon Vijay Mehta said he recommended Patel before his arrest that he should seek inspiration from Gandhi, who was jailed a number of times in India and South Africa.

Mehta said Patel welcomed the advice.

"I told him Gandhi was in jail for years and the only way he won was that he said 'You can't get to my mind but you can do anything to my body. You can imprison me but my conscience is very clear'," Mehta said.

Patel and his wife were hoping to raise enough bond money to satisfy the court, although they realise it "boils down to the judge and the arguments on both sides".

The 57-year-old Patel, who is in jail for the past week, will apply for bail at the District Court in Portland, Oregon on Wednesday.

Patel will ask the judge for bail so that he can fight extradition to Australia from the US, The Australian reported on Wednesday.

He will argue that he lived in Portland for 28 years and did not flee when Australian authorities first began probing the deaths of patients at Bundaberg hospital during his employment as head of surgery between 2003 and 2005. They are still in good spirits, they're looking for ways to come up with the money," Mehta said, adding he could have fled to a country that does not have an extradition treaty with Australia, but he didn't.