Philipsburg: --- While there are several questions surrounding the death of Jennifer Sorhaindo (37) who passed away last week Wednesday at the St. Maarten Medical Center SMN News managed to secure some information regarding the case. Based on our research we learnt that Sorhaindo was a full time employee of the Oyster Bay Resort since April 2009. SMN News understands that the young mother worked for the resort in the past as a casual worker but managed to secure a contract in April 2009. It is understood that the company was deducting SVB and other allowances from her salary and was paying SVB.
However, the company it is understood allegedly failed to register Sorhaindo at SVB. SMN News learnt that Oyster Bay Resort did not fill in the Mutation form for Sorhaindo and some other employees that were hired during the same period. The source said that the company contacted SVB after the woman’s death and explained to them that they somehow made a mistake by not filling out the forms and has since done that so that SVB can cover the expenses of the hospital when she died. SVB has since given the company a written warning where they gave Oyster Bay Resort one week to register all of its employees. Should this occur in the future then SVB would be in its full rights to sanction the company financially.
In an invited comment, Head of the Social Insurance Bank Reginald Willemssburg confirmed that the now dead woman was a full time employee of Oyster Bay Resort. Willemsburg also confirmed that the company did not register the employee while they were indeed paying her dues.
Willemsburg further explained that Sorhaindo went to SVB two weeks prior to her death and she withheld valuable information from them. He said when Sorhaindo went to them for assistance, they asked her where she was working, and she told them she was doing fingernails, and was cleaning some place. He said Sorhaindo did not tell them where she was cleaning and for how long. “She gave us the indication that she was cleaning somewhere on and off and we told her we could not do anything for her. Had she provided us with all the information she would have gotten her doctor card.” Willemsburg said.
Willemsburg said if Sorhaindo had given them all the necessary information, they would have been able to issue a doctor card to her even though she was not registered. He said he could have called the company to find out what was happening and why she was not registered. Willemsburg said he could not understand why Sorhaindo withheld information from them when she was entitled to her benefits. “There are people who lie to get a doctor card but here you have someone who robbed herself of her rights,” Willemsberg said.
SMN News also managed to secure information, which states that Sorhaindo was residing on the island legally as her extension is currently in process.
SMN News also learnt that Sorhaindo did visit a specialist at the St. Maarten Medical Center. It is further understood that the specialist did what he needed to do in his private clinic and the patient was supposed to check back with him the next day for follow-ups but she did not for the lack of cash. While family members say, the woman had a miscarriage this cannot be confirmed by anyone. Sources say the specialist is now saying the patient did not comply with his orders and she reached at the emergency room, too late which caused her death.
SMN News contacted the medical director of the St. Maarten Medical Center Dr. George Scot for a comment on this case. Dr. Scot said while there are three specialists working for the St. Maarten Medical Center. Two of them he said have their private clinic inside the hospital while one is located outside of the hospital. Dr. Scot said that the St. Maarten Medical Center does not have access to the records of these specialists and so he cannot say exactly what happened and how the woman died. Dr. Scot further explained that the patient was taken to the emergency room at 3 am on November 18 and she was admitted at 4 am. He said she passed away at 9 am that same day. “We depend on our specialist or doctors to tell us if someone needs emergency medical attention and when we are told that the patient is treated whether or not they have insurance.” Dr. Scot said he does not have the records from the specialist since it is private and as such, he cannot say if the woman had a miscarriage or an abortion. He did say both scenarios could cause the same outcome if proper care was not given.
SMN News also learnt that Sorhaindo visited the medical institution when she began feeling sick and the specialist who treated her at his clinic refused to return to the hospital saying he would be at the hospital at 6 am the next morning. Efforts made to contact the specialist in question proved futile up to press time.
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