The Journal reported Friday August 9th that according
to a statement by the Department of Health the rights of medical personnel to object to carrying
out abortions must not interfere with the wellbeing of a patient.
The Journal article continues:
This week a member of the board of the Mater Hospital, Fr
Kevin Doran, said that the hospital “can’t carry out abortions because it goes
against our ethos”. He was echoed
by fellow board member, and a nurse tutor at the hospital, Sr Eugene Nolan.
Sr Nolan said that the situation facing the hospital was
“very, very grave”. The Mater is listed as one of 25 appropriate institutions
named in the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act where abortions may be
carried out in order to save the lives of pregnant women.
‘No provision for institutional objection’
Yesterday, there was a suggestion that the Mater may be able
to refuse to carry out a termination due a late removal of a line in the act
that stated no institution could refuse to carry out a termination.
That, however was denied by a Department of Health
spokesperson who spoke to TheJournal.ie today.
“The Act does not provide for conscientious objection by
institutions.
“Section 17 of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act
2013 clarifies that professional health personnel (medical and nursing
personnel) with a conscientious objection will not be obliged to carry out or
assist in carrying out lawful terminations of pregnancy, unless the risk to the
life of the pregnant woman is immediate, i.e. in an emergency situation.
However, an individual’s right to conscientious objection is
not absolute and must be balanced against the patient’s competing rights,
particularly the right to life in the case of a medical emergency.
“In such cases where a doctor or other health professional
has a conscientious objection to undertaking a required medical procedure, he
or she will have a duty to ensure that another colleague takes over the care of
the patient as per current medical ethics,” said the spokesperson.
“These provisions make it clear that this right is limited
to persons involved in the delivery of the treatment only.”
