The psychiatrist Mónica Julieth Suárez Díaz, the doctor Álvaro Leal Rodríguez and the nurse Julián Edilberto Rincón Díaz were charged by an office of the Life Unit of the Tolima Sectional Prosecutor’s Office, for the crime of wrongful death under medical responsibility, in two investigations carried out in an isolated manner by the accusing entity.
The first case is related to the death of Jorge Eduardo Rodríguez, who was admitted by his relatives and the Police on January 10, 2018 to the emergency room of a hospital in the Tolima capital, following presenting an acute and aggressive psychotic state.
After being evaluated and subjected to a series of examinations, his hospitalization was ordered in the mental unit of the healthcare center and treatment with medications such as clonazepam, clozapine and midazolam was started, with agitation persisting in the patient without improvement.
On the following January 13, lThe victim fell while bathing and suffered an injury to one of his eyebrows, for which he required surgery.
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Three days later, he was evaluated by the psychiatrist Suárez Díaz, who, because he was not evolving, increased the dose of the drugs.
But nevertheless, On January 18, the patient was found without vital signs in his bed in the early hours of the morning.
For the Prosecutor’s Office, the dose ordered by the psychiatrist exceeds what is established in the medical guidelines. Therefore, it is presumed that the death of Jorge Eduardo Rodríguez, due to respiratory arrest, would have been a consequence of the increase in said drugs.
The prosecutor maintained, during the accusation hearing, that the professional was not suitable in her evaluation regarding the condition of the patient who, apparently, lacked meticulousness and diligence in the clinical evaluation. Therefore, it considers that an error that might have been avoided would have been made.
