Medics perform abortion on wrong woman after hospital mix-up, face criminal investigation
A fatal mix-up at a hospital resulted in doctors performing an abortion on a woman who was four months pregnant and there for a check-up after medical professionals confused her with another woman.
The Czech news channel CNN Prima News reports that the expecting mother visited the Bulovka University Hospital in Prague on March 25, where the doctors carried out a procedure on her that resulted in a miscarriage.
The mix-up reportedly occurred in the waiting room when the woman responded by mistake when the staff called the name of another patient. It is speculated that perhaps the woman did not understand the situation due to a language barrier.
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Czech Police announced that investigators have initiated criminal proceedings "on suspicion of the criminal offense of bodily harm due to negligence."
A source who requested to remain anonymous told CNN Prima News that the woman had nodded and followed the nurse when the other patient's name was called. The unnamed source also said that the woman appeared to understand when the staff explained the operation to her and signed the paperwork for the procedure.
"She also willingly let herself be prepared for the operation and taken to the theater. When the anesthesiologist addressed her by name in the theater before the operation, she nodded again," the anonymous source claimed.
The head of the local gynecology and obstetrics clinic, Michal Zikán, also told CNN Prima that the staff instructed the woman to change clothes before transferring her to an operating room, where they instructed her to lay on the operating bed.
By accident, the woman underwent a procedure known as a curettage instead of the other patient.
According to Mayo Clinic, a doctor typically performs a curettage to remove tissue from the inside of the woman's uterus after a miscarriage, but the process is also used in abortions.
The Bulovka University Hospital did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.
A hospital spokesperson told CNN Prima that the incident was the "result of a serious violation of internal regulations on the part of the employees concerned." A spokeswoman apologized to the woman, promising to "do everything possible to mitigate the damage as much as possible and also compensate her."
Gynaecologist Jan Jan PÅáda, vice-chairman of the Czech Medical Chamber, told local media that a "Czech-speaking patient would probably actively resist the fact that she is going to undergo a procedure that she does not understand," according to The Evening-Standard.
The staff involved in the incident is off-duty pending an evaluation of the event.
One lawyer cited by the CNN Prima, Klára Slámová, accused the hospital of a criminal act. According to the attorney, the employees involved in the incident may face prison time.
"They face a prison sentence of six months to four years or a fine. It's hard to find words in such a failure," Slámová said, estimating that the compensation paid to the woman will be in the millions.
In a statement to CNN Prima, Marek Orko Vácha, a priest and medical ethics expert, emphasized the need for safety rules to prevent similar tragic events from occurring. The priest stated that one of the most common mistakes in hospitals involves the staff performing a procedure on the wrong patient or "the correct procedure on the wrong paired organ."
"The doctor who performed the procedure was not a bad person. He made a mistake, and to make mistakes is human," Vácha told CNN Prima.
Vácha stressed that money cannot solve everything.
"This is, for example, the loss of human life," the priest said. "The most important thing for the patient and for everyone is that it is clearly stated what will be done so that this event cannot happen again."
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
