Pszczyna hospital suspends two doctors after pregnant woman's death

Last weekend, the media reported a tragic story of a 30-year-old woman, who had died in the 22nd week of pregnancy after her had waters broken. The cause of death was septic shock. Lawyers hired by the woman's family claim the doctors had hesitated too long to terminate the pregnancy, which resulted in the death of the patient.

The board of directors of the hospital in Pszczyna informed on Friday that due to the ongoing inquiry into the death, two doctors who had been on duty that day have been suspended.

"As of now the doctors are no longer carrying out their duties at the facility," the hospital reassured.

The board also said in a statement that an inquiry has been launched immediately after the tragic incident, and reassured that ward procedures were checked.

Furthermore, the directors said they were monitoring and verifying information appearing in the media.

The hospital declared its full cooperation with all authorities investigating the case, and once more extended condolences to the woman's family.

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said at a press briefing on Friday that all circumstances surrounding the woman's death should be investigated thoroughly.

"However, when it comes to the issues related to the Constitutional Tribunal ruling, then we should not mix up those two things. It needs to be stressed that the Constitutional Tribunal ruling does not change anything regarding the life and health of a mother. When the life or health of a mother is at risk, then abortion is still possible, so here nothing has changed," he said.

He reassured that under current regulations, doctors in Poland have a legal duty to save the life and health of a mother.

Leader of Poland's opposition Civic Platform party and former prime minister, Donald Tusk, announced on Friday he would take part in Saturday's protest against the strict abortion rules.

Commenting on the death of the 30-year-old woman in Pszczyna, Tusk said that "by the decision of the Constitutional Tribunal, a prosecutor, rather than a doctor supervises pregnancy".

"Those who are behind of making abortion an ideological issue, those who have introduced this sectarian way of thinking into public life, are in a sense responsible for this and other tragedies, and they should keep their hands off Polish women," Tusk said.

Currently, abortion in Poland is legal in two cases: when pregnancy poses a threat to health or life of a woman, or when it was a result of rape or incest.