Bratislava, Slovakia - The Slovak Conference of Bishops (KBS) welcomed the Health Ministry’s decision to abandon its plan to cancel doctors’ right to conscientious objection.
"However, we remind the ministry of the need to adopt a treaty (with the Holy See) on conscientious objection, because in real life we can see that this issue often depends on the decision of one minister and that is why it is very delicate," said KBS spokesman Ján Kováčik.
According to the original proposal of the Health Ministry, a healthcare provider would not be able to opt out of performing a healthcare service that is against his or her beliefs, such as an abortion, artificial fertilization, experiments with human organs, cloning, sterilization and provision of contraceptives.