Despite orders requiring that all non-essential and elective surgeries be stopped in the state of Ohio to address the coronavirus, abortion centers continued killing babies in abortions. Today, the Ohio Attorney general put a stop to that.
As LifeNews.com reported, abortion facilities are ignoring Ohio Health Director Amy Acton’s mandate, which went into effect Wednesday. People called each abortion facility Thursday and confirmed that they still are aborting unborn babies.
“Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio is breaking the law by continuing to schedule and perform abortions, thereby risking the health and lives of countless individuals. This is the real crisis, and they must be shut down immediately,” said Meg Wittman, executive director of the pro-life organization Right to Life of Cincinnati.
Their abortion work defies orders from the state government that are meant to protect people’s health in a time of crisis. In Ohio, all non-essential and elective surgeries and procedures are supposed to be postponed, by order of the state health department. The same problem is happening in other states like California and Pennsylvania.
But today, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost ordered two abortion business to stop killing babies in abortion. They can’t provide any treatment or procedures that are “non-essential or elective surgeries and procedures that utilize personal protective equipment.” Since the only procedures abortion businesses generally do that are “non-essential or elective surgeries and procedures” are abortions, that essentially closes down their main source of business and income.
“You and your facility are ordered to immediately stop performing non-essential and elective surgical abortions. Non-essential surgical abortions are those that can be delayed without undue risk to the current or future health of a patient,” Yost said.
“If you or your facility do not immediately stop performing non-essential or elective surgical abortions in compliance with the (health director’s) order, the Department of Health will take all appropriate measures.”
Michael Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life, wrote Friday to Ohio Planned Parenthood President Iris Harvey, accusing the group of violating the state order.
“By performing surgical abortions, your company is putting the health and safety of all Ohioans in danger,” Gonidakis said. “Your current noncompliance will undoubtedly contribute to the spread of COVID-19 and put the lives of first responders, nurses and doctors in danger.”
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Although Yost’s letters went only to Women’s Med Center in Dayton and Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio’s Cincinnati Surgery Center, it presumably would apply to others as well, such as Preterm in Cleveland, which also remained open after Acton’s order.
Gonidakis told LifeNews.com that this is the right action in light of the coronavirus situation and the mandate to stop non-essential procedures.
“The Health Order, which Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton recently signed, requires that non-essential surgical procedures be postponed in Ohio. This allows vital medical supplies to be saved for our hospital systems’ fight against COVID-19 as the need for these supplies will most certainly increase in the coming days,” he said. “As countless other clinics across the state comply with this health order and prioritize the lives of their fellow Ohioans, Planned Parenthood continues to put profit and abortion above the safety of our society’s most vulnerable members- children and the elderly.”
“We are grateful that Attorney General Yost is putting the health and safety of all Ohioans both young and old first by ordering the closure of all nonessential surgical procedures. The Health Order recently signed does not provided any exceptions and all clinic a must comply to stop the spread of this pandemic. If the abortion clinic continue to put lives in danger, we expect our government to lock their doors,” Gonidakis told LifeNews.
“It is time to hold Planned Parenthood accountable for violating this emergency Health Order,” he added.
According to the Ohio State Medical Association, the order to top non-essential surgiers means:
Only scheduled surgeries and procedures that meet one or more of the following criteria as it relates to the patient’s medical condition will be allowed:
There is a threat to the patient’s life if the surgery or procedure is not performed;
There is a threat of permanent dysfunction of an extremity or organ;
There is a risk of metastasis or progression of staging;
Risk of rapidly worsening to severe symptoms (time sensitivity).
If the surgery or procedure does not meet one of the above criteria, then it must be canceled, Gov. Mike DeWine and Dr. Acton announced on Tuesday.
Abortions do not fit any of those categories. They are elective procedures done to kill unborn babies.
Whittman said their concern is for born people as well as the unborn. By continuing to do elective abortions, abortion facilities are using up scarce medical resources and risking further spread of the coronavirus, according to her organization.
The pro-life group also pointed to reports that at least three abortionists may have the coronavirus, one in Washington state, one in Michigan and one in Texas.
“The fact that these abortion facilities have absolutely no regard for public health indicates that they are not healthcare institutions at all,” said Molly Smith, president of Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio and executive director of Cleveland Right to Life. “They shout in the legislature, in the public forum, on social media – that their entire purpose for existence is women’s health. How hypocritical then to defy a mandate from the Ohio Health Department itself and put the lives of all Ohio citizens’ in jeopardy in order to perform elective abortion procedures!”
Created Equal leader Mark Harrington urged Gov. Mike DeWine and the state health department to immediately enforce their statewide mandate and insist that abortion facilities stop their life-destroying practices.
“Amid the COVID-19 crisis, our state government should not be treating abortion facilities differently than other health centers,” Harrington said. “Abortion is classified as a non-essential or elective medical procedure. All elective medical procedures need to be canceled to ensure Ohio has enough resources to handle a surge in COVID-19 cases and stop the spread of the virus.”
The Right to Life Action Coalition echoed that call. It said state pro-life leaders are working with DeWine, the Ohio Department of Health, and the state attorney general on an immediate solution to this issue.
“We are grateful to those leaders in our state who continue to protect the public health during this time of crisis,” the organization said.
Other states have issued similar orders, but abortion facilities continue to do abortions there as well.
