A prominent pro-life group has said that forcing GPs to participate in abortions that are unrelated to healthcare is an “extreme and unjust attack” of freedom of conscience and should be resisted at all costs.
Pro Life Campaign spokesperson Dr Ruth Cullen said: “It is unconscionable for Minister Harris and the Government to compel doctors who don’t wish to dispense abortion pills to refer women to colleagues who will carry out the procedure.
“What’s the ethical difference in handing the pills to the woman yourself and ensuring she gets access to them from another doctor that you referred her to? The result for the unborn baby is the same – his or her life is ended. It’s clear the Government haven’t thought this one through.”
The comments come following the results of a post-referendum survey published on GPBuddy.ie which shows that a majority of GPs in Ireland have a conscientious objection to providing abortion and do not intend to provide medical abortion services in their practice.
The survey also found that out of the 936 GPs that took part in the survey, 75% respondents said they do not think abortion up to 12 weeks should be GP-led. 68% said they would not ‘opt in’ to such a service.
Dr Cullen added that we are witnessing something “truly appalling” in that the Government “seems prepared to trample on freedom of conscience in order to keep the pretence going that their abortion proposals are somehow medically indicated and based”.