Prague hospital performs involuntary abortion on wrong mother in Asian patient mix-up
By Bryan Ke
A hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, issued an apology after its staff performed an involuntary abortion on the wrong Asian patient.
Key points:
The details:
- The woman, who was four months pregnant, came to the hospital for a routine check-up while the other Asian patient arrived for a curettage, a tissue removal procedure and a method of abortion.
- Doctors, nurses, a gynecologist and an anesthesiologist administered anesthesia to the patient and performed the procedure intended for the other patient without her consent or knowledge. This nightmare-inducing mix-up resulted in her experiencing a miscarriage.
- Jan Kvacek, head of Bulovka University Hospital, told reporters the incident was caused by “human error, human failure” and language barrier.
- Michal Zikan, head of the hospital’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, noted that the woman signed a document in Czech that was intended for the other patient.
- “Three days earlier, the patient was told in great detail, in the presence of an interpreter, what she would undergo, that it’s just a check,” Zikan said, adding that the surgeons had “no reason to believe they were dealing with a different patient.”
The aftermath:
- One staff member has been suspended following the incident. Another staff was also put under expert supervision.
- “If violations of mandatory working procedures are revealed as part of the ongoing internal investigation, specific individuals will be held personally responsible for it,” Bulovka Hospital spokesperson Eva Stolejda Libigerova told CNN Prima News.
- Meanwhile, the Czech police have launched an investigation into what they call a case of bodily harm. The hospital has also launched its own investigation.
- Kvacek told reporters that the hospital has already offered psychological and legal assistance to the patient who suffered an involuntary miscarriage. “She is no doubt entitled to receive compensation,” he added.
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