Prague hospital performs abortion on wrong woman, blames language barrier for mix-up

In an alarming incident at a Prague hospital, a woman underwent an abortion procedure she never consented to. According to CNN Prima News, the woman, who was four months pregnant, visited Bulovka University Hospital for a routine checkup on March 25, only to become the victim of a hugemedical error.

In a startling sequence of events, the woman was mistakenly put under anesthesia and operated upon, despite being the wrong patient. Hospital staff, including nurses, doctors, a gynaecologist, and even the anaesthesiologist, failed to accurately identify her. The hospital blamed this catastrophic mix-up to a language barrier.

The healthy pregnant woman underwent a curettage, a uterine surgery typically associated with abortion, which was intended for another patient. As a result of the procedure, the woman suffered a miscarriage.

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Language barrier exacerbates the situation

Reports indicated that apartfrom gross negligence on the part of hospital staff, a language barrier further complicated the situation, contributing to the misidentification.

Speaking to Czech media outlet Seznam Zpravy, gynaecologist and vice-chairman of the Czech Medical Chamber Jan Prada said: "A Czech-speaking patient would probably actively resist the fact that she is going to undergo a procedure that she does not understand."

"The goal must be to do a root analysis, identify the causes, and set a process so that this never happens again," David Marx, chair of the Czech Society for Quality in Healthcare, told the news outlet.

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"According to the findings so far, as a result of a serious violation of internal regulations on the part of the employees concerned, the surgical procedure was initiated on the incorrectly identified patient," Bulovka spokeswoman Eva Stolejda Libigerova told CNN Prima News.

The staff involved in the error have been placed on suspension, and the hospital is conducting an investigation into the matter.

(With inputs from agencies)