Alta Bates Patient Had Cancer

A friend of the patient who died at a California hospital during a nurses' strike says she was suffering from ovarian cancer but appeared to be getting stronger.

Authorities say 66-year-old Judith Ming died Saturday at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland when a replacement nurse gave her a non-prescribed dosage of a drug known to be lethal in the manner in which it was administered.

Ming's neighbor, C. Cheryl Archer, tells the San Francisco Chronicle her friend was very sick but appeared to be gaining strength during a visit about two weeks ago.

Archer says Ming's husband was devastated. Hospital officials acknowledged Ming died from a medical error but have not described what happened.

The Oakland Police Department and the Alameda County coroner are investigating.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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