Ohio Abortion Clinics Refuse to Comply With Attorney General’s Order to Stop Killing Babies in Abortions

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Mar 23, 2020   |   9:32AM   |   Columbus, Ohio

Abortion businesses in Ohio are refusing to comply with an order from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost to stop killing babies in abortions. They say abortions are somehow essential medical procedures that complies with the state’s order to stop all non-essential medical procedures.

As LifeNews.com reported, abortion facilities are ignoring Ohio Health Director Amy Acton’s mandate to address the coronavirus to stop non-essential medical procedures, which went into effect Wednesday. People called each abortion facility Thursday and confirmed that they still are aborting unborn babies.

On Friday, 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.”

But Planned Parenthood and other abortion companies are refusing to comply, saying that killing babies in abortions is somehow an essential medical procedure:

There are six clinics in Ohio that provide surgical abortions, and five of them have pushed back, saying that their services are not only essential, but also time-sensitive

In a statement to CBS News, Iris Harvey of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio and Kersha Deibel of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region said their “top priority is ensuring that every person can continue accessing essential health care, including abortion. We know your health care can’t wait. Abortion is an essential, time-sensitive medical procedure.”

Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region’s lawyer said the clinic is in compliance with the order, and Harvey and Deibel told CBS News they will still “continue providing essential procedures, including surgical abortion.” The attorney general’s office said if it is determined that the clinics violated the order, there will be legal ramifications.

Meanwhile, the Preterm abortion center in Cleveland, which has killed multiple women  in botched abortions, said it refused to follow the order.

“One clinic in Cleveland said it also would continue providing abortion services despite Attorney General Yost’s letter. According to CBS News, the Attorney General’s office said it would pursue legal action against the clinics if the health department determines that the facilities violated the order,” a local news report indicated.

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On its website, Preterm of Cleveland said it also would continue providing abortion services despite the Attorney General’s letter. However, the clinic said it would be reducing the number of daily appointments and “instituting even more stringent precautionary measures to keep our patients, staff, and their families safe and healthy.”

“In the midst of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, we know that our most vulnerable patients will have even more challenges getting the services they need, and community care will be key to preventing a reproductive healthcare crisis down the line,” the healthcare clinic wrote on its website.

In Dayton, the Women’s Med Center of Dayton, which kills babies in late-term abortions, will also continue doing abortions in violation of the Attorney General’s order.

ACTION ALERT: Contact Attorney General Dave Yost and urge him to shut down these abortion centers.

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.

According to Yost’s letter:

“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.”

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 surgery 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.

Meanwhile, three abortionists may have the coronavirus, one in Washington state, one in Michigan and one in Texas.