A psychiatrist, who was called by the defense, defended the medication Diego Maradona received during his home care and shortly before his death, in 2020, as part of the trial investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of the legendary soccer player.
Maradona died on November 25, 2020, from cardiorespiratory arrest and pulmonary edema during this home care, the appropriateness and conditions of which are central issues in the trial that began in April in San Isidro (north of Buenos Aires). It should be noted that seven healthcare professionals are on trial for possible fatal negligence during the soccer player’s recovery following neurosurgery.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Experts called by the prosecution had questioned the psychotropic medications prescribed by psychiatrist Agustina Kosatchoff, due to their potential effects on liver, kidney, and heart function. This theory was rejected by psychiatrist Anibal Areco, as Ms. Kosatsov’s attorneys pointed out. “The cause of death could not be determined, but I can, however, confirm that it was neither poisoning nor a drug-related issue,” the scientist testified in court, adding: “The prescription of psychotropic medications was appropriate for the patient’s clinical presentation,” and the dose administered to Maradona “does not cause cardiotoxicity.”
Anibal Areco also downplayed the necessity of Diego Maradona’s hospitalization against his will, a point raised by other experts during the trial: “There is no clear indication that this patient needed this type of care.”
The prosecution questions both the psychiatric treatment administered to Maradona as well as the role of psychiatrist Kosachoff in arranging his home care in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires, where he died at the age of 60 on November 25, 2020. Maradona had been transferred there three weeks earlier following surgery for a subdural hematoma.
The trial is expected to conclude by November, while the defendants, who are employing different defense strategies, maintain their innocence. It should be noted that they face a prison sentence of up to 25 years.
*photo source: AP
