Across Poland, protests are taking place due to the unfortunate and unjustified death of a pregnant 30-year-old woman Pszczyna, in southern Poland, from septic shock. Many activists consider the ban responsible for the woman’s death.
The 30-year-old pregnant woman was in the 22nd week of her pregnancy and went into a septic shock after the doctors waited for the unborn’s heart to stop beating while abortion is illegal in Poland. The 30-year-old Iza felt that something was wrong with the fetus and was rushed to the hospital. There, the doctors found that the amniotic fluid was not enough for the fetus to survive, therefore the pregnancy was not viable. Usually, in these kinds of situations, doctors opt for keeping the mother alive and perform a late-term abortion.
However, the government defending the law that was imposed banning abortions in October 2020 considers the termination of pregnancies with fetal defects, unconstitutional. The government though considers Iza’s death a human error committed by the doctors and not the abortion ban. Even though, she passed away in September the death became known only last week after the family lawyer is calling for a more significant change, a change to the Polish legislation. The doctors that were on duty have been suspended according to the hospital’s administration.
Protest all over Poland
Ever since the incident became known protests have occurred all over Poland while the news has also circulated all over Europe. Protests were also held in Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw, Bialystok, and many other cities. Before the new restriction women could have abortions in three cases, if the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest, secondly, if the pregnancy was endangering the mother’s life, and finally, in the case of irreparable defects of the fetus. Health Minister Adam Niedzielski stated that the case was not successfully analysed and it should be made clear to obstetricians that “a woman’s safety is a reason to terminate a pregnancy.”
Poland is one of the most conservative Catholic European countries and as soon as the possibility of the abortion ban was announced in October 2020 it provoked a series of protests not only in Poland but in Europe too. The EU has decided that Poland should face the political repercussions as it poses a very important issue against women’s access to healthcare and safe abortions.