Adam Niedzielski: I will set up a team to refine guidelines related to aborting pregnancies in life or health emergencies

As the Minister of Health emphasized, the right to abortion operates from both the case of danger to life and health, and the two conditions are treated separately. This means that a pregnancy can be terminated if even one of these conditions is present.

- We define health very broadly. It is not only premises related to physical health, but also mental health. Indeed, we are seeing more and more invocation of premises related to mental health. The right to terminate a pregnancy has been clarified at my request in guidelines presented by two national consultants: in obstetrics and gynecology, as well as in perinatology," the health minister noted.

Adam Niedzielski added that each situation is analyzed on a case-by-case basis, not at the political level, but through experts and the patient ombudsman. The head of the health ministry referred to recent events that occurred at a hospital in Nowy Targ. A 33-year-old woman in her twentieth week of pregnancy was brought to the hospital because her fetal waters had drained. Doctors decided not to terminate the pregnancy. The woman died after three days, as a result of septic shock and multiple organ failure.

- I urge you not to sow accusations, especially those that are based more on exaltation or political will, rather than on a detailed analysis of medical records," the minister said.

Adam Niedzielski announced the establishment of a team that will prepare more detailed guidelines for handling such cases in a larger group of experts than two national consultants.

- I asked that this team have a quota of women's participation, and they will play a role that allows them to present a balanced point of view," added Minister Niedzielski.

Patient Ombudsman Bartlomiej Chmielowiec appealed to patients to contact his office for help in any situation. As he assured, interventions are made immediately in cases of danger to life or health. In the case that occurred in New Market, immediately after media signals, the MPC office undertook an ex officio explanation.

- There, there was a violation of the patient's rights to receive health services in accordance with current medical knowledge and due diligence, as well as to receive reliable and clear information about her condition and what the therapeutic plan is. We also found violations of the patient's rights to medical records, in the form of unreliable filing and deficiencies. Specific recommendations will be made to the medical facility on what should be done so that such situations do not occur in the future," said Bartholomew Chmielowiec.

Professor Krzysztof Czajkowski, national consultant in obstetrics and gynecology, also referred to the case of a patient from Nowy Targ.

- In this particular case, initially all was well. The patient was given a high dose of an antibiotic that, based on experience, should also cover the bacteria that most often cause infections in Poland. Unfortunately, it turned out that the bacterium was resistant to the antibiotic. The infection parameters worsened, and that was the point at which this pregnancy should have been terminated. It is not known whether the patient would have been saved, but at least there would have been a sense that everything had been done in that direction. It is worth asking whether the thing was avoidable," said Prof. Krzysztof Czajkowski.