CLEVELAND — Nearly a week after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending nearly a half-century of constitutional protections for abortion, a local doctor is warning about some of the future consequences for medical professionals in Ohio.
In a post put out on Twitter on Monday, Dr. David Hackney, the chair of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologist’s (ACOG) Ohio chapter, wrote the following:
"Abortion for *lethal* fetal anomalies is now *illegal* in Ohio
I’m a high-risk obstetrician here. I diagnose birth defects
So some point soon I may look someone in the eyes & say that they, against their will, will carry to term, undergo delivery & then have their child die"
As of Thursday evening, the post had more than 137,000 likes and had been retweeted nearly 36,000 times. Writer, activist, and social media influencer Shaun King shared Dr. Hackney's post on his Instagram account, giving it an additional 89,000 likes.
Hackney and two other AGOC members spoke to reporters on a Wednesday press call. "This decision is a direct attack on the patient-physician relationship and the practice of medicine," he said during the conference call. "We have grave concerns about the results for the patients and women in our state."
Earlier this week, several groups came together to file a lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court “seeking to block the state’s six-week ban on abortion and to restore and further protect Ohioans’ reproductive rights secured by the Ohio Constitution.” The lawsuit was filed after a federal judge in Ohio granted the state’s request to allow the previously blocked six-week abortion ban – also known as the “heartbeat bill” – to take effect.
Hackney told the panel he was on call last Friday when the law took effect after Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order. "It was Friday night and all of a sudden the legal ground has entirely changed beneath my feet," he said.
Among the concerns Hackney shared in his remarks included dealing with legal concerns at the same time when emergency situations arise. "If we have a mom and say she's 19 weeks and she's bleeding heavily, or she has an infection, or she has kidney disease and is going to kidney failure, I don't want to in the heat of the moment with that patient have to call a lawyer and seek counsel. Asking 'what should I do?' 'How do I best proceed?' That's a terrible circumstance and it would distract you in an emergency from the needed patient care," Hackney explained in a hypothetical scenario.
Hackney also fears that the new law in Ohio will cause future OB/GYN professionals to look elsewhere to practice.
"A lot of people talk about the fear of criminal charges, the fear of going to jail. And that it's certainly one of the things which will potentially inhibit people from wanting to come to the state," Hackney stated. "But probably the biggest driver is having to watch your patients suffer when you know that there are ways in which you could give them the care that they need."
Previous Reporting:
- New lawsuit seeks to block Ohio's abortion ban: 'Many Ohioans will be forced to give birth against their will'
- No, the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade does not ban birth control
- Can Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley legally refuse to enforce abortion ban?
- What are the potential consequences in Ohio for abortion patients, providers?