MELBOURNE (AFP) - An Australian hospital was investigating Thursday after a woman carrying 32-week-old twins had the wrong foetus terminated in a botched procedure it called "a terrible tragedy".
Doctors had advised the woman that one of the boys, whom she had already named, had a congenital heart defect that would require years of operations, if he survived at all, the Herald Sun reported.
She made the heartbreaking decision to abort the child but on Tuesday the wrong baby was terminated.
The woman then endured a lengthy caesarean section at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne during which the life of the sick foetus was also ended.
"The Royal Women's Hospital can confirm a distressing clinical accident occurred on Tuesday," the hospital said in a statement.
"This is a terrible tragedy and the hospital is deeply sorry for the loss suffered by the patient and her family.
"We are conducting a full investigation and continue to offer the family and affected staff every support."
Two independent investigators from The Canberra Hospital will help conduct a Root Cause Analysis for the health department, the hospital added.
A friend of the woman told the newspaper the family was struggling to cope.
"She went to the hospital with two babies and now she has none. And she had the heartache of giving birth to her sick baby. She's traumatised," she said.
"The hospital said it had followed correct procedure, but how could this happen?"
The family later issued a statement requesting privacy.
"We appreciate the public interest in what has happened but we would have preferred the Herald Sun journalist involved in breaking the news of our tragedy had respected our request that he not run this story," they said.
"The significant media attention triggered by this article has added to our stress and has put our privacy at risk at what has been a very difficult time for us."
Victorian state Premier Ted Baillieu told reporters it was a tragedy for everyone involved.
"I don't think it's appropriate for anybody to draw any conclusions other than this is a horrible tragedy," he said.
"We'll make sure that the investigation is as thorough as it can be."
<한글기사>
쌍둥이 기형아 낙태 수술중 정상아 희생
임신 32주째인 쌍둥이 태아 가운데 선천적으로 기형인 태아를 낙태하려다가 어이없이 문제가 없는 다른 태아가 낙태되는 의료 사고가 호주 에서 발생했다고 호주 신문 헤럴드 선이 24일 보도했다.
비극은 한 임신부가 병원을 찾았다가 쌍둥이 태아 가운데 한 명이 선천적 심장 기형이며 이 태아가 무사히 태어나더라도 심장 수술에 수년이 걸릴 것이라는 진단 결과를 받으면서 시작됐다.
이 여성은 고민 끝에 이 태아를 낙태하기로 했으나 22일 수술을 맡은 멜버른 소 재 왕립여성병원에서 쌍둥이 태아 가운데 심장 기형이 있는 태아 대신 멀쩡한 아이 가 낙태되는 사고가 발생했다.
병원측은 이후 심장 기형아를 제왕절개 수술로 출산시키려 했으나 오랜 시술 과 정에서 이 태아마저 생명이 끊어졌다.
쌍둥이를 임신한 호주의 임신부가 의료사고로 쌍둥이 모두를 차례로 잃는 참사 를 당한 셈이다.
병원측은 이번 사고와 관련해 "참담한 의료사고가 22일 발생했다"고 확인하고 "
이번 사건은 아주 끔찍한 비극이며 병원은 환자와 그 가족들이 겪은 손실에 대해 매 우 유감스러워하고 있다"고 발표했다.
병원측은 이 사건에 대해 "전면 조사를 실시하고 있으며 환자 가족과 관련 의료 진에 모든 지원을 다하고 있다"고 덧붙였다.
빅토리아주정부의 테드 베일루총리는 "철저한 조사가 이뤄지도록 하겠다"고 밝 혔다.
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