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. - REUTERS
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00:00Polish authorities have fined a hospital for denying an abortion to a woman whose pregnancy
00:06may have endangered her life. It marks a shift in the country with some of the strictest
00:10termination rules in Europe.
00:14The country's previous nationalist government introduced a near-total ban on abortion in
00:182021. They were only allowed in cases of rape, incest or threat to the woman's health or
00:24life, but even then, doctors could still refuse to perform them on moral grounds.
00:30The issue has sparked massive protests in recent years. In 2023, women's rights were
00:36front and center in the election campaign that ushered in a pro-European coalition government.
00:42It recently introduced a regulation to penalize publicly funded medical centers that refuse
00:47legal procedures.
00:49At the Foundation for Women and Family Planning in Warsaw, Antonina Lewandowska explains
00:54what happened in this case to the 41-year-old woman who was 14 weeks pregnant.
00:59The woman presented a certificate from a psychiatrist, which clearly stated that continuing this
01:04pregnancy was a threat to health or life, and this is a sufficient legal basis to terminate
01:09the pregnancy.
01:11The hospital requested more documentation and ultimately refused to perform the abortion.
01:16The woman ended up getting it at a different hospital. That was unlawful, according to
01:21Poland's national health fund, which fined the hospital nearly $137,000.
01:28The agreed person contacted us as a foundation and informed us about the situation. We think
01:33this is the first of many wins. We currently have a dozen or so cases that are pending
01:37before the patient ombudsman or have already been won. It is the beginning or signal of
01:42some upcoming change.
01:44The medical center plans to appeal the decision. The country's health minister has warned
01:49there could be additional penalties coming at other facilities.