Medical College opens disciplinary proceedings against physician for false reports

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Costa Rica opened an ordinary administrative disciplinary liability procedure against Dr. Frank Daniel Ordoño Rubio (code MED12900), accused of issuing driver’s license reports without performing the corresponding medical act and of charging below the minimum fee set by the guild. The initial resolution for the transfer of charges, issued on January 29, 2026, by the Medical Ethics Tribunal, was first published in La Gaceta No. 166 on Thursday, September 3, 2026, under case file 266-2024TEM.

The complaint was filed by the Prosecutor’s Office of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the case is being processed in accordance with Organic Law No. 3019 and its reforms, the College’s Sanctions Regulations, and the Code of Medical Ethics (executive decree No. 39609-S). If the facts are proven, the physician faces sanctions that could lead to the suspension of professional practice, as the public trust placed in the medical profession has been affected.

The Imputed Facts

According to the resolution, on October 18, 2024, Dr. Ordoño Rubio allegedly issued, using his SEDIMEC system username and password, license report No. 5,924,886 in favor of the Prosecutor’s Office investigator Lic. Natanael Gómez Salas, without any physical or medical assessment taking place. The communication was allegedly conducted via WhatsApp to the number 6134-9453, linked to Christopher Durán Thornton, originating from the Facebook profile of the Escuela de Manejo Durán (Durán Driving School).

• The report was not based on clinical exams, laboratory tests, or other medical studies.
• A fee of ¢17,000 was charged, an amount deposited via SINPE Móvil to the number linked to the driving school.
• This figure is lower than the ¢22,672 stipulated by the College for driver’s license reports, which would constitute unfair competition.

Association with the Driving School

The Tribunal indicates that the physician, knowing that illicit acts contrary to the College’s regulations were being practiced at the Escuela de Manejo Durán, voluntarily associated himself with said company by providing his personal username and password for the SEDIMEC system. In this manner, he provided his services to prepare medical certificates without a medical act and while charging below the minimum fee.

If proven, the accused would be infringing articles 20, 24, 77, 78, 110, 130, 132, and 137 of the Code of Medical Ethics, which require the physician to act with honesty and good faith, to refrain from making false reports or certifications, to avoid associating with those who practice illicit acts, and to respect the minimum fees set by the College.

The Process and Its Guarantees

The Medical Ethics Tribunal, composed of seven physicians and presided over by Dr. Yanira Obando Salazar, will conduct the proceedings in accordance with the Disciplinary Procedure Regulations published in La Gaceta No. 44 on March 5, 2020. The file was declared restricted access, and the accused retains the right to testify or remain silent without this implying a presumption of guilt, as well as the right to present exculpatory evidence during the oral and private hearing.

The case places public trust in the medical profession and the integrity of the reports that authorize the operation of vehicles at the center of the debate. For readers, the relevance is direct: a medical report issued without a real assessment compromises road safety and the credibility of a process that thousands of Costa Ricans undergo every year; therefore, the resolution of the College of Physicians and Surgeons will be key to reaffirming that the profession does not tolerate the falsification of certifications.

Source: La Gaceta — Official Gazette, No. 166, September 3, 2026, p. 200 (file 266-2024TEM).