Introduction
In September, 2017, Chile passed a law to regulate abortion. The
law permits abortion in three circumstances:
(1) to save the life of the mother (no gestational
limit),
(2) when the embryo or fetus has a lethal
defect "incompatible with independent extrauterine life" (no gestational
limit),
(3) in the case of rape (gestational limit of 12
weeks for a girl 14 years of age and over, 14 weeks for a girl under 14
years of age)
The protection of conscience provision in Article 119.3 (below) requires
that objecting health care practitioners give prior written notice to the
institution. The institution is then required to find a non-objecting practitioner,
either within the facility, or by referral elsewhere.
However, Article 119.3 also provides that conscientious objection, while personal, may be exercised by institutions. The problem here is that both individual and institutional objectors may find referral unacceptable if they believe (as many do) that it makes them complicit in a morally obectionable act.
- Administrator
|
Original Text
|
Caution: machine assisted translation
|
Codigo Sanitario
|
Sanitary Code
|
Decreto
Con Fuerza De Ley No. 725
|
Decree with the force of law No. 725
|
|
Artículo 119. Mediando la voluntad de la mujer, se autoriza la
interrupción de su embarazo por un médico cirujano, en los términos regulados en
los artículos siguientes, cuando:
|
Article 119. Mediating the will of the woman, the interruption of her
pregnancy is authorized by a surgeon, in the terms regulated in the following
articles, when:
|
|
1) La mujer se encuentre en riesgo vital, de modo que la interrupción del embarazo evite un
peligro para su vida.
|
1) The life of the woman is at risk, so that the
interruption of pregnancy prevents a danger to her
life.
|
|
2) El embrión o feto padezca una patología congénita adquirida o genética,
incompatible con la vida extrauterina independiente, en todo caso de carácter letal.
|
2) The embryo or fetus has an acquired or genetic
congenital pathology, incompatible with independent
extrauterine life, in any case of a lethal nature.
|
|
3) Sea resultado de una violación, siempre que no hayan transcurrido más de doce semanas de
gestación. Tratándose de una niña menor de 14 años, la interrupción del embarazo podrá
realizarse siempre que no hayan transcurrido más de catorce semanas de gestación.
|
3) it is the result of a rape, provided that no
more than twelve weeks of gestation have elapsed. In
the case of a girl under 14 years of age, the
interruption of pregnancy may be carried out
provided that no more than fourteen weeks of
gestation have elapsed.
|
|
***
|
***
|
|
Artículo 119 ter. El médico
cirujano requerido para interrumpir el embarazo por alguna de las causales descritas
en el inciso primero del artículo 119 podrá abstenerse de realizarlo cuando hubiese manifestado su
objeción de conciencia al director del establecimiento de salud, en forma escrita y previa. De este
mismo derecho gozará el resto del personal al que corresponda desarrollar sus funciones al interior del
pabellón quirúrgico durante la intervención. En este caso, el establecimiento tendrá la
obligación de reasignar de inmediato otro profesional no objetante a la paciente. Si el establecimiento
de salud no cuenta con ningún facultativo que no haya realizado la manifestación de objeción de
conciencia, deberá derivarla en forma inmediata para que el procedimiento le sea realizado por quien no haya
manifestado dicha objeción. El Ministerio de Salud dictará los protocolos necesarios para la ejecución de
la objeción de conciencia. Dichos protocolos deberán asegurar la atención médica de
las pacientes que requieran la interrupción de su embarazo en conformidad con los artículos
anteriores. La objeción de conciencia es de carácter personal y podrá ser invocada por una institución.
|
Article 119.3 The surgeon required to
terminate the pregnancy due to any of the causes
described in the first paragraph of Article 119 may
refrain from doing so if he has previously expressed
his conscientious objection to the director of the
health facility, in written form. The rest of the
personnel who are responsible for performing their
functions inside the surgical pavilion during the
intervention have the same right. In such a case,
the establishment will have the obligation to
immediately reassign another non-objecting
professional to the patient. If the health facility
does not have any doctor who has not given notice of
conscientious objection, it must refer the case
immediately so that the procedure is carried out by
anyone who has not expressed such objection. The
Ministry of Health will issue the necessary
protocols for the execution of conscientious
objection. These protocols must ensure the medical
attention of patients who require the interruption
of their pregnancy in accordance with the previous
articles. Conscientious objection is of a personal
nature and may be invoked by an institution.
|
|
Si el profesional que ha manifestado objeción de conciencia es requerido para interrumpir un embarazo,
tendrá la obligación de informar de inmediato al director del establecimiento de salud que la mujer
requirente debe ser derivada.
|
If the professional who has expressed
conscientious objection is required to interrupt a
pregnancy, he will have the obligation to
immediately inform the director of the health
facility that the requesting woman must be referred.
|
|
En el caso de que la mujer requiera atención médica inmediata e impostergable, invocando la
causal del número 1) del inciso primero del artículo 119, quien haya manifestado objeción de conciencia
no podrá excusarse de realizar la interrupción del embarazo cuando no exista otro médico cirujano
que pueda realizar la intervención.
|
In the event that the woman requires immediate
and urgent medical attention, invoking the cause of
number 1) of the first paragraph of article 119,
those who have expressed conscientious objection
cannot be excused from performing the termination of
pregnancy when there is no other surgeon who can
perform the intervention.
|