ANAESTHESIOLOGY - REGIONAL ANAESTHESIA / REVIEW ARTICLE
Advocating for universal access to epidural analgesia for women during childbirth: a scientific review Polish National Social Campaign “Hear the voice of pain”
1
Department of Law and Management in Medical Professions, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
2
Member of the Social Dialogue Council for Health, Poland
3
Department of Business Analysis and Strategy, University of Lodz, Poland
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Submission date: 2025-03-12
Final revision date: 2025-06-18
Acceptance date: 2025-06-27
Publication date: 2025-07-29
Corresponding author
Dorota Karkowska
Department of Law and Management in Medical Professions, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 25 Kopernika St., 31-501 Krakow, Poland
Department of Law and Management in Medical Professions, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 25 Kopernika St., 31-501 Krakow, Poland
Anaesthesiol Intensive Ther 2025;57(1):174-181
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
In Poland, epidural analgesia in labour is reimbursed from public funds by the National Health Fund, and yet many women are still unable to access it. The main factor limiting the accessibility of this procedure is the lack of an anaesthesiologist. Compared to other fields of medicine in which anaesthesiologists are involved, the needs of women giving birth are often marginalized and do not constitute a priority for the managers of medical entities. In 2022, 14% of births took place under analgesia, rising to 17% in 2023, and 23% in 2024. Despite the positive trend, still, on average, only one in four women can count on giving birth without unnecessary suffering. The aim of the article is to review the current legal ramifications of labour analgesia in terms of international, European, and Polish law.
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