The late Solandy Sanchez displaying her certificate at her swearing-in ceremony in 2021.
ST. EUSTATIUS--The sudden passing of an ill 27-year-old civil servant in St. Eustatius, who failed in her attempts to obtain a medical referral for specialist help abroad, has left the island in mourning.
The woman, Solandy Sanchez, died on Friday, April 22, less than a week after her family, frustrated with the inaction of the health authorities in Statia, decided to use their own resources to send her abroad for medical attention.
Sanchez was Junior Advisor at Planning and Control in the Finance Department of the Statia government.
The community was up in arms over her passing because since 2021 she was not feeling well and she sought medical assistance at the local hospital, but up until last week she had not received the necessary referral to seek specialist help.
Her family decided to send her to the Dominican Republic for medical care, but she passed away less than a week later, while abroad for medical assistance.
Solandy leaves behind to mourn her infant daughter, her partner, her parents, siblings, extended family in Statia and the Dominican Republic, friends and her colleagues in the Statia government.
She was sworn in as a Civil Servant in June 2021 at Vincent Astor Lopes Legislative Hall in the presence of Government Commissioner Alida Francis and Deputy Government Commissioner Claudia Toet. In the recent Central Committee meeting her name was mentioned along with the other staff members for the great job they are doing at the Finance Department.
She had worked at various establishments on the island, such as Eutel NV and the Auxiliary Home amongst other places before her last place of employment at the Finance Department.
Toet: “We have lost a great colleague and a good friend who was dear to all our hearts.” She said that the sudden passing of Sanchez has come as a great shock to the Public Entity St. Eustatius. “We express profound condolences to her partner, her young child, her parents, her immediate family members and all the colleagues at the Public Entity.” She has worked so hard to achieve this career goal.
“Solandy was a hardworking, loyal civil servant whose sudden passing has put the entire island into grief and mourning. She will be greatly missed. As Island government, we join with the entire Statian community to keep her family in our thoughts as they go through this difficult time, and we trust they will find comfort in knowing how much she was appreciated and loved by all who took the time to know her. Rest peacefully, Solandy," Toet said.
