CAY HILL – For the second time in two months, a patient of psychiatrist Dr. Kitty Amarello-Pelswijk, interim director of the Mental Health Foundation, died of unnatural causes. The second victim is an elderly lady who collapsed after a possible overdose of medication that she received on prescription from the psychiatrist.
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The 63-year-old patient, Mrs. Delris Cannegieter, was reportedly given multiple injections by ambulatory nurses on Friday October 9th. In one instant she was given an emergency injection, referred to as SOS. This means that 5-10 mg Haldol and 50 mg Promethazine are injected intramuscularly, in combination with 10 mg Diazepam for sedation. The amount of Promethazine administered on St. Maarten is ten times as high as is usual in the Netherlands. Mrs. Cannegieter also received one or more depot injections in the course of the day. A depot injection is an injection formulation of a medication which releases slowly over time to permit less frequent administration of a medication. After she received the injections, Mrs. Cannegieter collapsed. This happened in the presence of her husband.
The Statian by birth was taken to St. Maarten Medical Center in critical condition and ended up in the Intensive Care Unit. The intensivists were able to keep her alive, which gave her daughter the opportunity to come from St. Eustatius to St. Maarten to be with her mother. There was no improvement in Mrs. Cannegieter’s situation. She died last Thursday.
The question whether there is a medical error has not yet been answered. It is known that all antipsychotic drugs can cause heart problems or worsen existing heart problems, cause or worsen diabetes, and in some cases lead to serious neurological problems. According to medical experts, the patient’s liver and kidneys should be examined prior to injections, and it should be checked whether she was sufficiently hydrated, whether she was under the influence of another drug, and whether she suffered from asthma or diabetes. Elderly patients such as Mrs. Cannegieter need a lower dose of medication. Mrs. Cannegieter’s health had recently deteriorated, she ate little and had lost weight. It is not known whether her weight loss and physical condition were adequately taken into account in determining the dose of medication.
Seven weeks ago, another patient from the Mental Health Foundation died of unnatural causes. 43-year-old Caulette Julien was found dead in the isolation cell of the institution on August 25th. Her treating psychiatrist Dr. Kitty Amarello-Pelswijk, who was in quarantine for possible COVID-19 contamination, broke her quarantine to determine the death of her patient and forged the death certificate stating that Julien died of natural causes. Medical examiner Dr. Michael Mercuur has rejected this statement after finding evidence of an unnatural death.
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