– This is very important news for Polish women – doctors say, looking at the data of the National Health Care Fund. They show that if the upward trend continues, the number of legal abortions this year could approach that before the Constitutional Court ruling by Julia Przylebska. What does this mean in practice?
Something has changed in abortion information. – The increase is promising, it is a good signal – explains Antonina Lewandowska from the FEDERA Foundation for Women and Family Planning. – This means safety and peace of mind for our patients, for Polish women, it is very important, – emphasizes the professor. Filip Dabrowski, head of the gynecology and obstetrics department of Belanski Hospital in Warsaw.
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Only until the end of August, hospitals performed 530 so-called abortion inductions. These include both pregnancies terminated by abortion and spontaneous fetal death. According to the data of “Rynek Zdrovia” – during the last year there were 509 inductions and two years ago it was even less.
– The political situation made the patients to speak more boldly about this, they are not afraid to ask the doctor what should be done about such a pregnancy, – says prof. Ewa Wender-Ojegowska, National Consultant for Obstetrics.
“The magic word that starts with “a” means abortion has a paralyzing effect”TVN24
What has changed?
Although the law has not changed, the climate and approach will. The National Health Fund and the Ministry of Health have begun to penalize hospitals for refusing surgery.
– Here we are talking about the activity of women's organizations, which are to some extent supported by systemic activities, hospitals are punished, and this will undoubtedly bring results, – notes Antonina Levandowska.
They are also seeing this in several hospitals that previously took on the difficult task of performing most abortion procedures, and patients are coming from all over the country for help. – My observations show that this may be due to the fact that more patients receive services near their place of residence, – says Dr. Gisela Jagelska, gynecologist and deputy medical director of the Olešnica District Hospital Complex.
If the upward trend continues, the number of abortions this year could approach that before the Tribunal's ruling by Julia Przylebska. Even then, a thousand treatments a year was an official myth.
Abortion in the state system of Poland TVN24
– We have to increase it several dozen times, – says prof. Macei Socha, consultant of Kujaav-Pomeranian Voivodeship on obstetrics and gynecology.
“The will is there to start it”
In Poland, most abortions are performed outside the state system – either domestically or abroad. – We estimate that the total number of pregnancy terminations per day is several hundred, so the statistical number we are talking about is very small, – notes Machei Socha.
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In order to increase it, it is necessary to change the law, which has not been done yet. Dr. Gisela Jagielska points to illegality, but it is also important to train doctors who have not had to deal with abortion for many years due to restrictive laws.
– Several doctors asked me how to do it, where to get the equipment, so of course there are centers that have not yet performed abortions or have done them very limited, but there is a will to start it – says Gisela Jagielska .
It is also worth supporting it with knowledge. – We have a very long way to go, because this care is needed on a very large scale, – emphasizes Antonina Lewandowska.
Main photo source: TVN24
