ZAGREB, 17 May 2022 - Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević said on Tuesday that the gynaecology ward of the city's Sveti Duh hospital would soon have a new head who would ensure access to safe abortions in that hospital, founded by the city, where all gynaecologists are conscientious objectors.
Addressing a regular news conference, the mayor recalled that this was one of the promises in his election platform based on which he was democratically elected.
Asked how this would be achieved considering that all gynaecologists at that hospital are conscientious objectors, Tomašević said that details should be left to the hospital director to decide.
As for the need for the hospital to hire a psychologist, Tomašević said that the health minister has to give his consent for that as well.
In a comment on the findings of an inspection conducted in the hospital regarding the case of Mirela Čavajda, which indicates procedural irregularities, he said that the hospital head should deal with that, noting that an in-house inspection launched before the inspection requested by the Health Ministry was still underway.
Left-wing parties on restoration of abortion in Constitution
Peđa Grbin, leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) said earlier today that his party was discussing the restoration of the right to abortion in the Constitution and that there were two possible ways to do it - through the parliament or through a referendum, noting that the latter option was more likely due to the parliamentary majority.
Katarina Peović of the Workers' Front said today that they would attempt to "rally the progressive opposition" in favour of collecting the signatures of one-fifth of members of parliament necessary to table a proposal to amend the Constitution to make it include again the right to abortion.
