At the Vorarlberg State Hospital (LKH) Bregenz, an unwanted pregnant woman was not given an appointment for an abortion. Instead, she was referred to Salzburg. The reason is that an abortion in Bregenz is only performed up to the 13th week of pregnancy. This is a time before the legal deadline.
In Austria, abortion is only punishable from the beginning of the 16th week. The affected person was in the 13th week of pregnancy in May when she contacted the Vorarlberg State Hospital. There would have been a free operation date there in seven days. In the hospital, however, the deadline is set at the end of the 13th week.
Later it will be a “completely different approach”, a “much bigger operation”, it is said. Hospitals would not normally agree to this, Michael Rhode, head of the department of gynaecology and obstetrics, tells ORF Vorarlberg. In any case, there would have been no ethical objections, otherwise the procedure would not have been offered at all.
Doctor criticizes approach
“We feel sorry for every woman where we cannot offer what we have to offer. But these are the conditions that have been set for us and which we must adhere to.” Reference was made to other options, such as those in Salzburg. Instead, the affected person turned to the gynecologist who had previously been the only point of contact for abortions in Vorarlberg. The partially retired doctor still performs medical abortions.
According to him, everything went according to plan. He criticizes the actions of his colleagues: “In the State Hospital of Bregenz, what was previously promised by politicians is not being done – namely, making abortions possible within the set time frame.”
Information announced
The hospital has now published more detailed information on its website, with women already informed of the self-imposed deadline at their first consultation.
As reported, after months of debate, the Vorarlberg state government has decided to make abortions at the Bregenz state hospital a private service. With the retirement of the private doctor, there would no longer have been a service in the state. According to ORF, around 170 abortions have been performed in the past six months, two-thirds of which were with medication.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
