Doctor’S Initialing To Cost Him $1.7 Million

An obstetrician will apparently pay $1.7 million to a new mother whose abdomen bears his carved initials, a source said Saturday.

Dr. Allan Zarkin, 61, admitted using a scalpel to carve his initials into the midsection of Dr. Liana Gedz, whose baby he had just delivered by Caesarean section at Beth Israel Medical Center Sept. 7.

Gedz, a 31-year-old dentist, filed a $5 million lawsuit against Zarkin and the hospital in November, but during subsequent grand jury testimony, she asked prosecutors to spare Zarkin from criminal charges.

“Dr. Gedz has released Beth Israel Medical Center from all claims and liability arising out of the incident with Dr. Zarkin, without payment of any kind by Beth Israel,” the hospital said in a statement released Saturday. “We understand that Dr. Gedz has settled her lawsuit against Dr. Zarkin for an undisclosed amount.”

A source familiar with the settlement told the Daily News that the amount was $1.7 million.

The state Health Department fined Beth Israel $14,000 and ordered it to improve its monitoring of physicians as a result of Zarkin’s actions.

Health Department officials said the hospital failed to file proper reports with the state after the carving incident, and did not sufficiently monitor Zarkin, despite earlier complaints of bizarre behavior.

Zarkin’s medical license was revoked by state authorities on Feb. 3.

Zarkin’s lawyer has said his client admits cutting the letters “AZ” into Gedz, but isn’t responsible because his judgment has been impaired by a brain disorder similar to Alzheimer’s disease. Zarkin has pleaded innocent to charges of assault. He faces five to 25 years in prison if he is convicted.