We all are doing our part to protect against COVID 19, well almost everyone.
On March 13 the US Surgeon General Adams urged the entire medical community to suspend all elective surgical procedures in order to both protect our medical healthcare infrastructure as well as protect our communities and health care workers from the spread of COVID19.
In Colorado, Governor Polis signed executive order D 2020 009 effective March 23 declaring “all hospitals, outpatient surgeries, and procedure providers are directed to cease all elective and non-essential surgeries and procedures”, “whether medical, dental or veterinary” until April 14 at the earliest.
Over a thousand procedures have been canceled in the Colorado Springs hospitals alone.
As an ObGyn physician, I and my partners have personally canceled dozens of surgeries.
I say this with absolutely no malice. This was the correct call by our federal and state governments.
Although incredibly inconvenient and at times medically pressing to our patients, these measures are necessary if we are going to be successful in avoiding the level of COVID 19 catastrophes of Italy and elsewhere.
Readers know restrictions go way beyond the medical community.
Public Health Order 20-22 has closed all “non essential personal services facilities”.
One cannot even get their haircut at this time, or more importantly, attend certain physical therapy appointments or have needed dental procedures.
We collectively isolate at home, if lucky we work from home, or we simply wait at home for the bans to be lifted.
And we do our part to the greater good of our community. Well most of us do.
The Abortion Industry Is Somehow Above The Law
There is one industry that has excluded themselves from the Governor’s executive order and the US Surgeon Generals urging, the abortion industry.
Patients cannot have their thyroid surgery, or knee replacement or hysterectomy; but elective termination of pregnancies, abortions, are being scheduled and performed daily around our state.
Would someone please explain to me why the abortion industry has declared itself above the law?
Why does the abortion industry believe the executive order does not apply to them in regards to the elective surgical procedure of abortion?
And why is the executive order not being uniformly enforced across all medical facilities as stated in the order?
Readers should be aware that the American College of Pediatrics in conjunction with other medical organizations has written their opinion stating abortion is not an essential component of healthcare for women.
I am quite aware, and frankly embarrassed by the fact, that the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists in conjunction with other medical organizations has written an opinion piece that they do not support COVID-19 responses that cancel or delay abortion procedures.
Readers must know that many OB/Gyn physicians profoundly disagree with this opinion.
Regardless of one’s personal views on abortion, there is no reasonable medical rationale whatsoever that the abortion industry should excuse themselves from executive orders being followed by the rest of the medical establishment.
And there is no medical rationale whatsoever that our state government should not enforce the Governor’s executive order “uniformly” across all medical service lines as specifically stated in 2020 009.
Though not a lawyer, I’m aware of no legal reason why the abortion industry should be allowed to ignore the law our land.
I call on the Governor and legislatures of Colorado to uniformly enforce the directives without giving favoritism to the abortion industry.
– Dr. Kevin Weary
Our COVID 19 crisis is not the setting to debate abortion, and yet the abortion industry has actively chosen to place itself above the law and orders of our land.
If the pro-abortion industry insists, as it has in the opinion paper listed above, that abortion on demand is essential and above any restrictions placed on the rest of the medical industry, then it best be prepared to examine its own white paper and explain their statement why a “delay of several weeks, or in some cases days, may increase the risks or potentially make it (abortion) completely inaccessible.” Which is ACOG’s stated reason why abortion should be excluded from COVID 19 regulations.
Current Colorado law allows abortions at any stage of pregnancy; should the people of Colorado find that fact acceptable if the abortion industry itself states a delay of days or weeks increases procedural risk?
If “days” can make an abortion inaccessible (ie it is now too late to have access to my abortion ), should the people of Colorado not reconsider why an abortion performed 48 or 72 hours (“days”) earlier would have been acceptable?
What truly is the difference of 21 days?
Why on April 14 would it be too late if on March 22 it was ok?
If the abortion industry truly desires to protect the health of their patients as they adamantly claim, then I challenge you to join the rest of the country and put your surgical abortions on hold for as long as the rest of the medical community suspends all other elective surgeries and procedures in the name of protecting the people of this state and this country.
Respectfully,
Dr. Kevin Weary