Andrea Prudente, a 38-year-old photographer who lives near Seattle in the United States, and her partner Jay Weeldreyer went on a vacation to Malta in early June .
However, this holiday has become their nightmare.
Andrea was 16 weeks pregnant when she was on holiday on the Mediterranean island.
After arriving at the destination, Andrea developed bleeding symptoms. They went to the hospital and stabilized the situation, and the child was fine for the time being.
But two days later, Andrea's condition suddenly took a turn for the worse and her water broke.
Further examination also showed that the placenta in her body had partially detached from the uterus and the fetus could not survive.
originally thought that the vacation would be ruined, but now even Andrea's life is threatened.
Scans showed her cervix was open, her umbilical cord protruded and her detached placenta was bleeding, putting her at risk of a fatal infection.
Gynecologist Dr. Isabel Stabile said that the way to save the life of a pregnant woman is to perform an abortion immediately, and the doctor will remove the placenta and fetus from the pregnant woman's body.
Andrea also called her midwife in the United States, who gave her the same advice.
However, the fetus in her body still showed a heartbeat at this time, and in Malta , abortion is criminalized and this operation is illegal!
No matter how much I asked the Maltese doctors, they would not and could not perform an immediate abortion for Andrea.
Unless she leaves the country immediately.
Otherwise, her only choice is to wait on her own, which may take up to several weeks, for the fetal heartbeat to stop. However, during this period, in such a bad physical condition, her own life may not be saved at any time.
Although the fetus had no chance of survival, and although the mother faced the risk of fatal infection, doctors finally decided that Andrea could be given more antibiotics and her physical condition should be closely monitored, but they could not take the fetus.
Currently, Andrea has been transferred to Spain. Originally, they wanted to go to the UK for treatment, but the distance is too far and Andrea's body may not be able to bear it.
According to Spanish law, abortion is allowed between the 14th and 22nd weeks of pregnancy when a woman's life and health are in danger. Meanwhile, Malta’s abortion ban has once again stirred controversy.
Most of the residents of Malta believe in Catholicism, and the country's abortion ban can be said to be very strict.
Because of its beautiful scenery and developed tourism, it is called the "Heart of the Mediterranean", but it is also the only EU member state that prohibits abortion for any reason.
Malta’s health minister, Chris Fearne, a former surgeon general, said: “While I have been assured by the state’s lawyers that in this case, no action will be taken against healthcare workers who are doing their best to save lives. Any obstruction measures, but the situation (that happened to Andrea) is not unique. Similar incidents have happened before, and I believe they will continue to happen in the future. "
The reason why the doctor did not dare to risk abortion for Andrea was. Because in fact, Maltese law stipulates that doctors who perform abortions on patients may face up to four years in prison and a lifetime ban from practicing medicine.
"Malta's laws should not prevent our doctors and professionals from saving lives."
In Malta, the ban on abortion has always been strict, and the topic is rarely raised or discussed by politicians.
Just in January this year, the anti-abortion conservative Maltese lawyer Roberta Metsola replaced David Sassoli and was successfully elected as the President of the European Parliament, becoming the first person in 20 years Women serving as presidents of parliament.
Health Minister Chris Fearn told reporters: "I have asked our team to look into the current legislation to see if there are parts of it that prevent doctors from providing care where it is needed."
This is also the first comment made by the Maltese government since Andrea's case became controversial.
On Monday, more than 130 Maltese doctors came forward collectively to launch a legal challenge to the country's abortion ban, saying Natalie Psaila, a member of the non-governmental organization Doctors for Choice, confirmed that Andrea was in critical condition. , if her condition continues to worsen while she is in Malta, the doctor will have to consider violating the law (risking four years in prison) and terminating the pregnancy
She believes that this legislative situation in Malta "cannot continue". The NGO fears a repeat of the tragedy that occurred in Ireland in 2012: 31-year-old Savita Halappanavar also suffered a partial miscarriage but was refused further abortion by the hospital and eventually died. due to infection.
Her death outraged public opinion and ultimately led to changes in Ireland's abortion laws.
https://www.leparisien.fr/societe/touriste-enceinte-transferee-en-espagne- apres-la-polemique-malte-va-examiner-linterdiction-de-lavortement-30-06-2022-LFFXJPKE5FDB5H2JHWYNP7CPSA.php
https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/elle-est-terrifiee-une-americaine- craint-pour-sa-vie-apres-setre-vu-refuser-un-avortement-a-malte-23-06-2022-67CBUGZGSNDH5LT4GZCKKVOCR4.php
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Text | Qingguoguozi
