SC suspends negligent doctor for one year
The Supreme Court has affirmed the one-year suspension of Dr. Vivian Flores from the practice of medicine, finding her guilty of gross negligence and incompetence in the handling of a pregnant woman whose labor resulted in the tragic deaths of both the mother and her unborn child.
The 14-page decision dated 18 August 2026, penned by Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez for the High Court’s Second Division, upheld a previous ruling by the Court of Appeals against Dr. Flores.
Flores serves as the chairperson of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Dr. Catalino Gallego Nava Provincial Hospital in Guimaras.
The legal battle stems from an administrative complaint filed by Helen Garque, the daughter of the victim, Welma Garque.
The complaint named Dr. Flores, attending physician Dr. Caballero, and several other medical personnel as respondents.
According to case records, the heavily pregnant victim was rushed to the provincial hospital at approximately 5:00 a.m. on 15 November 2013, after experiencing severe labor pains.
Upon initial examination, Dr. Caballero found her cervical opening to be at two centimeters and advised her to walk around the facility.
At around 8:00 a.m., the patient’s water bag broke while she was walking.
She was returned to the emergency room, where Dr. Caballero noted that her cervical dilation had rapidly progressed to between six and seven centimeters.
After receiving intravenous fluids and ampules, she was transferred to the labor room under the direct supervision of Dr. Flores, Dr. Caballero, and attending hospital nurses.
The complaint highlights that the patient remained confined in the labor room for nearly eight hours — from 8:00 a.m. until 3:50 p.m.
During this critical time frame, the hospital staff strictly prohibited the victim’s family from entering the room and repeatedly failed to provide any medical updates regarding her status.
Despite the restrictions, the victim’s partner, Rex Torres, and his sister, Aurora Garganza, managed to briefly slip into the room at separate intervals to offer words of encouragement before the tragic outcome.
The family’s complaint cited severe lapses during transit, including the absence of accompanying medical personnel and a lack of transportation waiting at the port.
Welma arrived at the destination in a coma with dangerously low blood pressure; emergency efforts failed to save her or the fetus.
In sustaining the penalty, the Supreme Court invoked the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur, ruling that the tragic outcome inherently pointed to a breach of medical standards.