Claassens says he injected meds on woman with mental illness

Rota Health Center’s Dr. Francois Claassens says a woman who was diagnosed to have a mental illness was handcuffed when she was in the emergency room of the Rota Health Center and that he injected her with the medication.

Claassens, through the Office of the Attorney General, however denied that the administration and injection of medication was unnecessary or excessive.

In his answer and defenses to the lawsuit filed by Kaye Christian, Claassens, through assistant attorney general Teresita J. Sablan, said he administered a third shot to Christian after which she fell asleep.

The doctor said he administered Haldol to Christian. Haldol is an antipsychotic agent.

Christian alleged that Claassens chemically restrained her by administering and injecting her with unnecessary and excessive medications, including but not limited to Haldol, Prazapam, and Benedryl—all without her consent.

Claassens said he administered and injected Christian with necessary medication.

Christian, through counsels Jeanne H. Rayphand and Matthew Holley, is suing Claassens, the CNMI government, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., and Rota police officer Eusebio Manglona.

Christian is alleging violation of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution—unreasonable seizure, deprivation of liberty without due process of law; breach of settlement agreement (use of handcuffs at the Rota Health Center; breach of settlement agreement (failure to train); violation of the CNMI Constitution (unreasonable seizure); Involuntary Civil Commitment Act; Patient’s Rights Act—chemical restraint, right to ready access to telephone, right to receive copy of rights, and right to keep and use personal possession.

Christian is demanding payment of $1.2 million in damages and seeking a court order directing the CNMI and CHCC to provide ongoing education and training for all employees to educate them on the Involuntary Commitment Act and the Patient’s Rights Act, among others.

In his defenses, AAG Sablan said Claassens is entitled to qualified immunity from the lawsuit.

Sablan said the doctor exercised the appropriate degree of skill and knowledge while treating Christian and in a manner consistent with her best interests.

Sablan said the medical care and treatment rendered to Christian by the doctor were the appropriate care and treatment for Christian’s psychiatric condition.

Sablan asserted that Claassens reasonably believed that Christian posed a serious threat of substantial harm to herself and others.

Sablan said Christian was known to Claassens to have threatened hospital staff and to have slapped one staff member, and was showing escalating signs of aggression made worse by her use of alcohol.

Further, Sablan said, when Christian arrived in the emergency room of the Rota Health Center, she was violent and aggressive.

Sablan said Claassens denies that any error was made in the care and treatment of Christian at the Rota Health Center.

However, Sablan added, if the court should conclude otherwise, any such error was the product of a mistake based on the exercise of reasonable judgment.

Christian alleged that she was forcibly removed from her house on Rota by a police officer and several other persons and was allegedly handcuffed to a stretcher and brought to the Rota Health Clinic.

At the clinic, she was injected with medicines. On Jan. 1, 2014, Christian was brought to Saipan where she was allegedly involuntarily committed to the psychiatric ward at CHC. She was released from the ward two days later.