Valley Hospital sues doctor

Thursday, July 15, 1999 | 10:58 a.m.

Valley Hospital Medical Center sued one of its doctors in District Court, alleging medical malpractice and negligence over the death of a patient nearly seven years ago.

The hospital says Dr. Alvin Blumberg is obligated to pay the $320,000 settlement it has already paid to settle a suit filed against it by the deceased's wife. She had filed a suit earlier against the hospital for alleged malpractice in its staff's care and treatment of Israel Albachari.

Albachari was admitted on June 30, 1992, into the hospital's intensive care unit after he was found unconscious and suffering from Guillain Barre Syndrome. He was initially put on a ventilator because of multiple infections that affected his breathing, but was later taken off the ventilator when he was noted to be breathing on his own. He died on Aug. 18, 1992, of respiratory failure.

The hospital says Blumberg failed to provide proper care to the patient and delegated authority to nurses who were not trained for such work.

The defendant could not be reached for comment.