Polish authorities have imposed a significant fine on a hospital for denying an abortion to a woman whose pregnancy may have endangered her life. The move marks a shift in a country with some of the strictest termination rules in Europe.

Warsaw

Polish authorities have fined a hospital for denying an abortion to a woman whose pregnancy may have endangered her life. This decision represents a significant shift in a country known for having some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. The near-total ban on abortion, introduced by the previous nationalist government in 2021, allowed terminations only in cases of rape, incest, or threats to the woman's health or life, with doctors still able to refuse on moral grounds.

Recent protests and political shifts have placed women's rights at the forefront of national discourse. The introduction of a regulation to penalise publicly funded medical centres that refuse legal procedures aligns with the current government's pro-European stance. In this specific case, a 41-year-old woman, 14 weeks pregnant, presented a certificate from a psychiatrist indicating that continuing her pregnancy posed a threat to her health or life. Despite this, the hospital demanded more documentation and ultimately refused the procedure.

The woman eventually obtained an abortion at a different hospital. Poland's National Health Fund deemed the refusal unlawful and imposed a fine of nearly $137,000 on the initial hospital. According to Antonina Lewandowska from the Foundation for Women and Family Planning in Warsaw, this incident marks a potential turning point, with multiple similar cases pending resolution. The medical centre has announced its intention to appeal the decision, while the health minister has hinted at additional penalties for other facilities.



Polish hospital fined for denying legal abortion

Polish authorities have fined a hospital for denying an abortion to a woman whose pregnancy may have endangered her life. It marks a shift in the country with some of the strictest termination rules in Europe. The country's previous nationalist government introduced a near-total ban on abortion in 2021. They were only allowed in cases of rape, incest or threat to the woman's health or life, but Even then, doctors could still refuse to perform them on moral grounds. The issue has sparked massive protests in recent years. In 2023, women's rights were front and centre in the election campaign that ushered in a pro-European coalition government. It recently introduced a regulation to penalise publicly funded medical centres that refuse legal procedures. At the Foundation for Women and Family Planning in Warsaw, Antonina Lewandowska explains what happened in this case to the 41-year-old woman who was 14 weeks pregnant. The woman presented a certificate from a psychiatrist, which clearly stated that continuing this pregnancy was a threat to health or life and this is a sufficient legal basis to terminate the pregnancy. The hospital requested more documentation and ultimately refused to perform the abortion. The woman ended up getting it at a different hospital. That was unlawful, according to Poland's National Health Fund, which fined the hospital nearly $137,000. The agreed person contacted us as a foundation and informed us about the situation. We think this is the first of many wins. We currently have a dozen or so cases that are pending before the patient ombudsman or have already been won. It is the beginning or signal of some upcoming change. The medical centre plans to appeal the decision. The country's health minister has warned there could be additional penalties coming at other facilities.

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