Dear AAPLOG Colleague, We oppose abortion because it is the intentional killing of an innocent unborn child. Abortion is contrary to our Hippocratic Oath, and we feel it is contrary to sound moral principle, and for many of us, contrary to God’s stated Law. However, our incercession in the case mentioned below has a different basis. It concerns an acceptable standard of care for women’s health. Induced abortion is the law of the land (whatever our personal conscience convictions may be). As the Philadelphia case of Kermit Gosnell starkly demonstrated, unregulated abortion clinics can degenerate to unbelievably gross, unsanitary, medically unacceptable standards. The government has a responsibility to protect the general public from this kind of wanton dissolution. That is one reason the FDA exists, and that the State health departments have all kinds of regulations for hospitals and offices—except, often, for abortion clinics. Currently, only 23 states have health and safety regulations for abortion clinics. In eight states, laws are on the books but are being blocked by court action. Kansas is one of those. Abortion Clinic regulations exist for the protection of the patient. (Who is protecting the women is the 27 states without regulations??—In Philadelphia, apparently no one, was protecting these women, at least in Gosnell’s area). And who is responsible for follow up care of complications? Is it a responsible standard of care for a doctor to do a significant procedure on a woman, and not be available for problems that arise? The new Kansas law seeks to correct some of these situations. But it was blocked by a judge. AAPLOG, on behalf if it’s Kansas members, is interceding, asking that the legislation be allowed to proceed. We will keep you informed. Following is part of the AP account: Doctors’ group intervenes in Kansas abortion case WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Michigan-based group of doctors opposed to abortion appealed a federal court order keeping Kansas’ restrictive new abortion rules from being enforced, even though the court has yet to grant it permission to intervene in the case. The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists filed a motion to intervene in the case Monday, along with a notice of its appeal of the injunction. The group claims it has legal standing in the case because its members in Kansas are losing childbirth-related business to abortion clinics. It also says its members are placed at a competitive disadvantage because abortion providers pass along the costs of any complications or medical care after abortions to other doctors. U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia, who issued the temporary injunction blocking the new state clinic licensing law on July 1, hasn’t yet ruled on the group’s request to intervene. But the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals put its appeal on its docket Tuesday and assigned it an appeals court number. The Center for Reproductive Rights, whose lawyers represent the Kansas abortion providers who filed the lawsuit, said in an email that it does not see how AAPLOG can appeal the court’s decision when it is not a party in the case. It plans to oppose the motion to intervene, which it believes is groundless. ***********************
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