The Ministry of Public Health has ordered the definitive closure of the Centro de Cirugía Estética y Reconstructiva Diosa (Los Jardines) in Santiago de los Caballeros due to “unresolved irregularities.” The move follows the 26 March 2026 death of 32-year-old Angélica Geraldine Hernández and a subsequent formal criminal complaint filed by her family against the clinic’s staff.
Family files formal complaint
Relatives of the victim have filed a lawsuit with the Santiago Prosecutor’s Office, seeking a rigorous investigation into the circumstances of her death. The complaint alleges medical malpractice and highlights the illegal conditions under which the facility operated.
The lawsuit identifies several individuals as allegedly responsible for the events leading to the fatal outcome. These are the medical staff made up of physicians Oscar Polanco, Heriberto Liranzo and Cindy Jimenez. Cary Peña is identified in the document as the person who recruited the customers.
The Hernández family expressed their hope that the case will result in strict sanctions and serve as a legal precedent to prevent similar tragedies.
A history of defiance
While the center in the Los Jardines Metropolitanos sector originally held a license from September 2023, its history is marked by repeated regulatory failures. Under General Health Law No. 42-01, the facility had been under scrutiny for over a year:
12 March 2025: The Ministry issued Resolution No. 0006-2025, ordering a 45-day temporary closure to correct structural deficiencies and unauthorized service expansions.
August 2025: Despite a brief period of technical supervision to correct architectural plans, the center’s representatives signed an agreement stating the facility was undergoing remodeling and was not offering health services.
26 March 2026: Despite the active closure order and lack of surgical authorization, the clinic performed the procedure that led to the death of Angélica Geraldine Hernández.
Professional and legal consequences
In response to the incident, the Dominican Society of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery (Sodocipre) has temporarily suspended Dr. Heriberto Liranzo for the detected violations.
The Ministry of Public Health, through its Health Services Licensing Department, confirmed that a recent inspection proved the center failed to meet even minimum requirements or follow approved technical plans. Consequently, the Ministry shifted from temporary measures to a permanent shutdown and is pursuing legal actions in accordance with current regulations.
Read more in Spanish:
Ministry of Public Health
N Digital
Hoy
07 April 2026