CHARLESTON — An otolaryngologist is suing Herbert J. Thomas Memorial Hospital and Thomas Health System for acting in bad faith.
Dr. A Karim Katrib has had clinical privileges with the defendants for more than 30 years and in 2018, he requested that he be relieved of emergency room coverage for the hospital because of his age and years of service in excess of 30 years and the defendant refused to accommodate his request, according to a complaint filed in Kanawha Circuit Court.
Katrib claims he was later suspended and unable to treat his patients at the hospital, substantially limiting his ability to provide medical services to his patients.
The plaintiff alleges the defendants violated the hospital's bylaws and acted in bad faith. He claims they did not have substantial evidence to support the suspension of his privileges, according to the suit.
Katrib is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. He is represented by Mark A. Atkinson and John J. Polak of Atkinson & Polak in Charleston.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Joanna Tabit.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 21-C-409