Nurses and midwives proposed to be given the right to refuse abortions

The Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Republic of Tatarstan, founder of the National Parental Committee, Irina Volynets, addressed State Duma deputy Veronica Vlasova with a proposal to provide for the right of medical personnel to refuse to perform duties in preparing a patient for an artificial termination of pregnancy for non-medical reasons. To do this, Ms. Volynets believes, it is necessary to make changes to Part 3 of Art. 70 of the federal law “On the fundamentals of protecting the health of citizens in the Russian Federation”. In her opinion, such a decision will have a positive impact on the dynamics of the birth rate in the country. Irina Volynets explained that the attending physician, in agreement with an official of the medical organization, may refuse to monitor the patient and treat him. However, a nurse-midwife, being an assistant to a gynecologist, carrying out the appointment of a specialist, does not have the right to such a refusal.

Partner at Pen & Paper Bar Association Ekaterina Tyagai previously explained to Kommersantthat a specific doctor can refuse to perform an artificial termination of pregnancy in agreement with the relevant official (head) of the medical organization, if the refusal does not directly threaten the life of the patient and the health of others. At the same time, as stated in the law on protecting the health of citizens, in the event of notification in writing of a refusal to perform an artificial termination of pregnancy, the head of the medical organization must organize a replacement for the attending physician.

Natalia Kostarnova