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Hospitals in Mass. told to limit ‘nonessential surgeries’ due to COVID-19, but abortions still a go

March 20, 2020 | | Print Article
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Hospitals in Massachusetts are being forced to cancel many nonessential surgeries as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

Yet, while colonoscopies and hip replacement surgeries are not happening, abortions are still taking place in the state, Mass Live reported.

In a memo mandating that doctors cancel certain procedures to preserve resources and equipment amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Elizabeth Kelley, director of the state’s Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality, stated that “terminating a pregnancy is not considered a nonessential, elective invasive procedure for the purpose of this guidance.”

Kelley added that “the ultimate decision is based on clinical judgment by the caring physician.”

Under the commissioner’s order, hip and knee replacements, injections into a joint space or body cavity, colonoscopies and other procedures of this nature are deemed “nonessential, elective invasive procedures.”

According to Mass Live, other nonessential procedures affected by the order include:

  • Any procedures involving skin incision
  • Injections of any substance into a joint space or body cavity
  • Orthopedic procedures, such as a hip replacement or knee replacement
  • Colonoscopies, bronchoscopies, kidney tube placements and other endoscopic procedures
  • Invasive radiology procedures
  • Most dermatology procedures
  • Invasive ophthalmic procedures, including “miscellaneous procedures” involving eye implants
  • Tooth extractions and other oral procedures
  • Podiatric procedures such as removing an ingrown toenail
  • Skin or wound debridement
  • Sound wave treatment to break down kidney stones
  • Gynecological exams and/or endometrial biopsy

 

But killing an unborn baby made the cut — the irony here being that Republican Gov. Charlie Baker said the medical limitations were being established to “help protect our most vulnerable population.”

“We’re all adjusting to these circumstances, but I think it’s important to remember why,” Baker said this week. “Our public health professionals believe by taking these serious actions now, we can mitigate the spread of coronavirus and help protect our most vulnerable population.”

On Thursday, the governor activated the National Guard to support efforts “to keep residents safe and secure during the COVID-19 outbreak.”

As of Thursday evening, the state has had 328 total coronavirus cases, which was up 72 from a day earlier, NBC Boston reported. There have been no reported deaths.

Meanwhile, in Texas, Joe Nelson, a physician who provides abortions in the state, “is now self-quarantining for 14 days.”

Nelson told the Huffington Post that he is “mostly worried about how his unplanned absence might affect women’s ability to get abortions in the state.”

“Potentially, it could have a huge impact,” he explained. “There are not that many doctors who provide abortion care in Texas. A lot of the doctors that do come in from out of state. In a situation where doctors are less likely to want to travel, if there’s no one to cover me, patients will have to wait.”

Fourteen days.

March for Life, the anti-abortion group behind the annual march in Washington, DC, took to Twitter to comment.

The group tweeted: “It’s heartbreaking to see the abortion industry using a period of time when we should all be coming together to protect and save lives to promote the abortion agenda.”

Here’s a quick example of some of the responses from Twitter:

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