Duda signed on Friday an amendment to the Act on public backing in vitro. In addition, he announced his intention to present a bill in January to guarantee equal opportunities for all those facing infertility problems. This task besides involves public backing of another treatments.
The President's decision was implemented by signing a fresh provision on Friday, which amends the Act of 29 November 2023 on Public-funded healthcare services.
‘When deciding to sign the Act of 29 November 2023 amending the Public-funded wellness Care Act, The president considered the fact that the in vitro method in the assessment of parts of society raises ethical doubts. Faced with demographic challenges, aiming to guarantee equal opportunities for all those struggling with infertility, including those wishing to usage another treatments, The president announces a bill to supply public backing for them" – reads the President's Chancellery website.
As reported, "a presidential gathering of the wellness Protection Council was planned in January 2024 to prepare the project".
The initiative to amend the Public-funded wellness Services Act was initiated as a citizens' draft amendment. In accordance with the passed law, the Minister of wellness will be liable for the development, implementation, implementation and financing of a wellness policy programme in the field of fertility treatment, including medical procedures for assisted procreation, including in vitro fertilisation. The Act sets out the minimum yearly amount of in vitro funds of not little than PLN 500 million.
The applicants pointed out that due to the advanced in vitro costs, its availability is presently limited.
On Friday, the president of the Polish Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, asked president Andrzej Duda to refuse to sign the Act, which provides for the reimbursement of the in vitro method from the state budget or to redirect it to the Constitutional Court.
‘I ask you kindly to refuse to sign the Act of 29 November 2023 amending the Public-funded wellness Care Act and to re-examine it or mention it to the Constitutional Court’ – wrote Archbishop Gądecki in a letter to Duda.
He added that "Episcopath repeatedly spoke on the issue of infertility, which is not a method of treating infertility". He pointed out that the Church in her teaching refers to both legal-natural and spiritual arguments.
"Human life is simply a fundamental value and an inalienable good. It so demands absolute protection, regardless of the period and quality of human life. Meanwhile, the in vitro method is experimenting on man, his circumstantial +production+ being the +form of human life+" – assessed the hierarch.
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Clergy demands not taken into account. Duda signed the In vitro Finance Act:
