Mateusz Morawiecki made the remark at a news conference in Warsaw on Tuesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The prime minister was asked about the much-publicised case of a 33-year-old pregnant woman who died of sepsis last month after spending three days in hospital in the southern town of Nowy Targ.
The woman, named only as Dorota, had been admitted to hospital after her waters broke in the fifth month of pregnancy, news outlets reported.
The woman died of septic shock, even though several hours earlier a scan showed that the foetus was dead, according to the hospital records, the PAP news agency reported.
At Tuesday’s media briefing, Morawiecki was also asked whether Polish women needed additional safety guarantees, in addition to the existing abortion guidelines.
The prime minister replied: “I would like to offer my deepest condolences to Dorota’s family. What happened is extremely sad. I’m not jumping to conclusions about the causes because they are being investigated. Hopefully, the probe will be completed very quickly and the conclusions will be communicated to the public.”
‘A woman’s life and health must be protected’
Morawiecki told reporters that “when a woman’s life or health is at risk, her life and health must be protected” under Polish law.
He said: “Abortion is never an easy choice, but sometimes it is simply necessary, and Polish law is unequivocal about this. Abortion is legal whenever there is any danger whatsoever to a woman’s life or health. Her life and health must be protected. A woman’s life and health is a priority.”
Morawiecki added: “If there is a need for any additional pregnancy termination guidelines for medical facilities, they will be issued.”
He also stated: ”I appeal to everyone to not use a lack of guidelines or some concerns as an excuse. Abortion is legal in Poland when a woman’s life and health is at risk. Polish law is unequivocal about this.”
On Monday, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski announced he had appointed “a panel of 13 experts, including seven female experts” to draw up more detailed abortion guidelines for medical centres.
The health minister told reporters that “medical errors” were to blame for Dorota’s death and that the new panel would work to prevent such mistakes from happening again.
Niedzielski stated: "Every woman whose health or life is in danger at any time during her pregnancy has the right to terminate it."
Abortion is allowed in Poland only when the pregnancy endangers the life or health of the woman or if it is a result of "a forbidden act," such as rape or incest.
In March, Polish lawmakers rejected a bill that would have restricted the country's abortion law by imposing prison terms on those aiding terminations.
In December 2021, Polish MPs voted down a proposal that would have outlawed abortion by defining it as homicide.
The country's abortion regulations were last modified after its Constitutional Tribunal in October 2020 ruled that abortion due to serious fetal defects and severe illnesses was unconstitutional.
The ruling prompted a wave of protests across the country.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, niezalezna.pl