Family doctors have called for a “proper consultation process” on the proposed government amendments to the Criminal Code on abortion law.

The Association of Private Family Doctors (APFD) said in a statement that family doctors “hold dear the life and health of all and share with their patients some of the hardships and difficult decisions of life.”

The APFD went on to say that it recognises the duty of the legislators to “legislate to protect the health of citizens in our country and the concern of the legislator to safeguard doctors, even the reasons for the amendment to the Bill currently in discussion.”

However, it points out that “this amendment came to be without the due consultation.”

The APFD stated that the suggested amendment has “controversial terminology, in particular the reference to maternal health in general rather than limiting itself to physical issues, and a serious lack of various details of a technical and procedural nature, such as, if approved as it is, what can be considered for abortion/termination of pregnancy, when it is applicable, during which stage of pregnancy, who decides, and whether government is committing itself to be the sole provider of the termination of pregnancy/abortion service.”

It pointed out that “the result seems to be confused people, different interpretations by academics, national and European Members of Parliament and non-governmental organisations, and uncertainty as to whether the intent publicly described by the Prime Minister can stand in the future.”

The APFD said that it therefore calls for the Bill to be “passed through the parliamentary subcommittee for health and through a proper consultation process with relevant stakeholders, as well as for the establishment of relevant administrative and clinical support structures (including psychological services for patients and clinicians) that are fully operational from the start.”

The APFD also suggested a “well-defined review process to assess the reality on the ground after the enacting of a changed legislation.”

The APFD concluded by insisting that “the issue of termination of pregnancy/abortion deserves to be tackled much more thoroughly and sensibly by the legislators and administrators.”

The Association of Private Family Doctors (APFD) is a Voluntary Organisation (VO/1803) “that strives to improve family medicine and primary health care in our country on behalf of the private family doctors (known as “it-tobba tal-familja” or “general practitioners”) and their patients.”

File photo

Permalink: Family doctors call for proper consultation on abortion law