Urgent Meeting of Doctors: Addressing the Reality of Obstetric Violence Law in Portugal

The Ordem dos Médicos (OM) has scheduled an urgent meeting for next week with all its colleges and scientific societies involved in maternal and child care. This gathering, confirmed by Carlos Cortes, the bastonário, will take place on Thursday morning, the 10th. The aim is to formulate a position statement regarding the newly published law that introduces the concept of obstetric violence into Portuguese legislation for the first time. This law penalizes hospitals and obstetricians for performing unjustified episiotomies (the surgical cutting of vaginal tissues during childbirth). The OM and the Nurses' Order expressed regret for not being consulted during the drafting of this new legislation concerning rights during pregnancy and childbirth. According to the Observatory, the current law remains insufficient.