Mater Hospital's religious abortion ban left couple feeling ‘abandoned'
Summary
A Brisbane couple felt 'abandoned' when Mater Hospital, a Catholic-run system, refused to provide a medically indicated pregnancy termination despite serious fetal abnormalities. Though abortion is legal in Queensland up to 22 weeks, Mater’s longstanding policy prohibits terminations except to save the mother’s life, prompting the couple to seek care elsewhere at significant emotional and financial cost
Relevance
This article highlights the real-world tension between a Catholic hospital’s religious ethical commitments and patients’ legal access to care. It illustrates the impact on individuals when institutional conscience policies restrict reproductive services, even within publicly funded systems.