A Catholic doctor in Australia could face suspension for refusing an abortion referral for a couple who wanted to avoid having a girl.
Dr Mark Hobart, 55, was asked by an Indian married couple to refer them to an abortion clinic after discovering at 19 weeks they were having a girl when they wanted a boy.
“I refused to refer the patient because there was no medical reason to do it and it offended my moral conscience,” Dr Hobart told a television channel.
“It’s very wrong, I don’t know any doctor in Victoria that would be willing to refer a woman that wanted to have an abortion just because of gender at 19 weeks.”
The couple found another doctor and obtained an abortion a few days later.
For the last five months, Dr Hobart has faced an investigation from the Medical Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
The Medical Board of Victoria began an investigation after board members complained that the incident called into question his professional conduct. Neither the woman nor her husband filed a complaint against him.
By refusing to provide a referral for a patient on moral grounds or refer the matter to another doctor, Dr Hobart admits he has broken the law and could face suspension, conditions on his ability to practice or even be deregistered.
“I’ve got a conscientious objection to abortion, I’ve refused to refer in this case a woman for abortion and it appears that I have broken the rules,” he said.
“But just because it’s the law doesn’t mean it’s right.”
Victoria’s Abortion Law Reform Act requires a doctor with a conscientious objection to refer the patient to a practitioner who does not conscientiously object.
Sex-selective abortions are common in parts of the world, particularly in some Asian countries where there is a strong cultural preference for boys over girls. The practice has contributed to severe gender imbalances in some regions.
In Britain, the Director of Public Prosecutions recently declared that the 1967 Abortion Act does not “expressly prohibit gender specific abortions”.
Obstetricians in Australia have proposed preventing parents from knowing the sex of unborn babies until it is too late to terminate, to prevent gender-based abortions.
Sources:
Image: Herald Sun
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