Abortions continue in Ohio despite orders requiring that all non-essential and elective surgeries be stopped to address the coronavirus.
According to Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati, 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, according to the organization.
“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.
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.
According to the Ohio State Medical Association, this 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.
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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.
