The Working Group for Prevention and Social Medicine (AKS) is to operate an abortion practice in Vorarlberg in the future. Rooms in the staff residence next to the Bregenz state hospital are rented for this purpose. Benedikt Hostenkamp, the only doctor in Vorarlberg who has performed abortions so far, expresses his concerns.
The main question is whether an association that is actually committed to health prevention is allowed to practice abortion. Hostenkamp can’t imagine that, the AKS would have to change its statutes for that, he says.
“The fact that the AKS is the carrier will certainly be viewed differently,” describes Hostenkamp. It seems strange to him that a preventive organization should be the sponsor: “I would have thought of the AKS last,” he points out.
Long cooperation with the state hospitals
Gerald Fleisch, the director of the hospital operating company, however, sees no problem with this. The state hospitals have been working with the AKS for decades. For him it therefore makes sense that the hospital operating company makes the premises available and the practice is run by the AKS.
“Our concern is that there are as few such interventions as possible,” explains Fleisch. One has the opportunity to advise expectant mothers and to show alternatives, especially through the gynecologists of the state hospitals. If the decision is made to have an abortion, they want to guarantee a medically high-quality procedure. “This is particularly useful in this building,” says Fleisch.
15 doctors signed up
In the meantime, 15 doctors have reported to the state of Vorarlberg who would perform abortions. You would like to remain anonymous at the moment, says Fleisch. “But we know that there are doctors and will contact them as part of our concept development,” he explains.
The practice should be set up by the summer of 2023
In an interview with the Vorarlberger Nachrichten, Health Minister Martina Rüscher (ÖVP) reported on the plans for the AKS to take over the abortion practice. The AKS is currently working on the development of a concept on behalf of the state. The new practice should be set up by the summer of 2023.