A 70-year-old patient from southern Israel hospitalized two weeks ago in intensive care at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv has suffered brain damage as a result of the medical treatment she received.

A hospital spokesman says the woman was hospitalized with cardiac failure and that the medical team treating her did not notice she had stopped breathing over the weekend.

Ichilov sources say the lack of oxygen to the brain during the efforts to revive the patient caused the brain damage.

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The hospital said Wednesday it reported the incident to the Health Ministry and are expecting an external panel of inquiry into the matter.

"Only an external panel of inquiry is allowed to rules that a medical glitch of this sort can be defined as medical malpractice," said the spokesman.