Prague: A Prague hospital issued an apology on Thursday to a patient who underwent an involuntary abortion due to a mistaken identity last week.
The incident occurred when two Asian patients, both with permanent residence in the Czech Republic, were confused by hospital staff. One patient was there for a routine pregnancy check, while the other was scheduled for a curettage procedure, often used for pregnancy termination.
Jan Kvacek, head of Bulovka hospital in Prague, expressed regret over the “tragic” mix-up, attributing it to human error. The hospital offered psychological and legal support to the affected patient, acknowledging her right to compensation. Kvacek cited a language barrier as a contributing factor to the mistake.
Michal Zikan, head of the hospital’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, clarified that the patient had signed a document in Czech intended for the other patient, despite being briefed about the procedure through an interpreter days earlier.
Following the incident, one employee was suspended, and another was assigned to work under expert supervision.
This incident draws parallels to the case of Thi-Nho Vo, a French-Vietnamese woman who lost her baby in 1991 due to a similar mix-up in Lyon. Despite Vo’s complaint to the European Court of Human Rights, which argued for involuntary homicide, the court ruled in 2003 that an involuntary abortion does not constitute manslaughter, establishing legal precedence regarding the status of unborn babies.
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