URDANETA CITY- It may seem like a small victory but it meant a lot to a family from Urdaneta who lost a son 10 years ago in the hands of a doctor whom the Board of Medicine found guilty of gross negligence and incompetence and meted out to him a one-year suspension from the practice of medicine.

The quest for justice was finally won after the Court of Appeals affirmed anew the order of the Medical Board of the Professional Regulation Commission finding Dr. Candido San Juan, also of Urdaneta, guilty as charged after dismissing the latter’s second appeal.

The Rejuso family regards the CA decision as a big moral victory in their 10-year fight for justice for the death of their son, Richard, then 17, in 1997 after he was operated on by San Juan at the Sacred Heart Hospital.

The Rejusos accused San Juan before the medical board of misdiagno-sing and surgically operating on Richard on February 18, 1997.

The boy’s condition became severe after the operation, prompting his parents to transfer him to the Dagupan Villaflor’s Hospital on February 20, 1997 where he died a few days later.

San Juan appealed the decision of the medical board before the Appellate Court, naming couple Ruben and Yolanda Rejuso, as among the respondents.

Mr. Rejuso told the PUNCH that they are satisfied with the CA decision, adding that they would be happier if the criminal aspect still being tried by the Municipal Trial Court in Urdaneta would also be decided in their favor.

The agony of the Rejusos started at 6:30 p.m. of February 18, 1997 when Richard started complaining of severe abdominal pains, prompting his parents to bring him to San Juan, their neighbor, for medical treatment.

The Rejuso couple was told by San Juan to bring him immediately to the Sacred Heart Hospital and even wrote a note to the nurse there to admit the patient.

At the emergency room, San Juan subjected the boy to physical examination and went on to cite the result of an x-ray that there was an obstruction in his intestine that  needed operation.

Richard was operated on by midnight that day and afterwards, he was observed to be convulsing. His condition thereafter deteriorated. The next day, he became weaker and breathing abnormally aside from the fact that he was turning black.

When he was examined by San Juan, he told Richard’s parents that the boy will not last beyond the next day.

This prompted the Rejusos to make a decision to transfer Richard to Dagupan Villaflor Hospital where he was examined and operated on too by Dr.  Robert Valenzuela on February 23, 1997 after doctors saw a mass of fluid in Richard’s intestine.

Dr. Valenzuela told the boy’s parents that Richard had a wound in the intestine and that the suture was found to be “dehysed”, a medical term used to describe the condition.

This prompted the Rejuso couple to complain before the medical board accusing San Juan of gross negligence or incompetence.

The Board of Medicine later   resolved  that San Juan was guilty as charged and decided that he should be suspended for one year counting from the date the same becomes final and executory and to continue for the same period from the time he surrenders to the Board his Certificate of Registration and  Professional Identification Card.—LM