A total ban on abortions should be implemented in Slovakia, says Slovak MP Richard Vašečka, a member of the prime minister’s movement Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OLaNO).
“I will propose a ban on abortions. Although I’m not sure what form the proposal will take, my opinion is that abortions should not take place at all,” Vašečka told the Sme daily.
According to the OLaNO MP, it is necessary to support the family and protect unborn children.
In the meantime, Minister of Health Marek Krajčí (OLaNO), also stated that he would like to significantly reduce the number of abortions in the country, while NGOs point out that hospitals stopped performing abortions during the coronavirus pandemic.
The government decided to restrict all planned surgeries except in life-saving circumstances in order to focus on treating the coronavirus, which effectively ended most abortions in the country.
“Currently, we are in a situation in which we cannot take full responsibility for the lives and health of women undergoing surgeries that are not part of vital health care,” said Zuzana Eliášová, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health.
On the contrary, ombudsman Mária Patakyová is pushing the Ministry of Health to guarantee access to abortions during the pandemic.
“I consider it necessary to stress that the COVID-19 pandemic should not be used as an excuse to excessively interfere with women’s sexual and reproductive rights,” the ombudswoman commented on the topic.
Christian groups and conservatives are pushing for a total ban for abortion in the predominately Catholic country. Approximately 62 percent of the population in Slovakia adheres to the Catholic faith but other Protestant groups are also heavily represented.
Abortions in Slovakia are currently allowed until the 12th weeks of pregnancy.
The statistics reveal that in 2017, 6,102 women underwent an abortion in Slovakia. The following year, it was 6,024 and last year it was 5,824 women. Ten years ago, the number of these procedures reached almost 10,000.
