Pregnant women seeking urgent medical attention are now either rejected or denied care in emergency rooms. Is this the outcome of the Roe vs. Wade reversal?
Amanda Seitz’s investigation exposes a series of harrowing incidents across conservative states, where pregnant individuals are finding it increasingly difficult to access emergency room care. Seitz’s findings paint a dire picture: from a tragic miscarriage in a Texas emergency room lobby to the heart-wrenching loss of a fetus in Florida after being turned away, and a devastating birth in a vehicle in North Carolina resulting in the death of a newborn. These are just a few examples of the heartbreak and desperation faced by pregnant patients caught in the crossfire of political agendas.
The gravity of the situation is underscored by Sara Rosenbaum, a health professor at George Washington University, who describes pregnant individuals as “radioactive” to emergency departments in states with anti-abortion laws.
Pregnant women are now “radioactive”
Investigations into hospitals denying care to pregnant patients reveal a troubling pattern of neglect, in violation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). Enacted in 1986, EMTALA mandates that emergency rooms provide screening and stabilizing treatment to patients in labor, regardless of their circumstances.
Jennifer Klein, director of the Gender Policy Council in President Biden’s White House, condemns the injustices faced by pregnant individuals seeking care. “No woman should be denied the care she needs.”
In a clear rebuke to political interference in medical decision-making, Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services, asserts that doctors, not politicians, should determine what constitutes emergency care.
As the battle over reproductive rights rages on, the human toll of these policies becomes increasingly apparent. Pregnant individuals, facing life-or-death situations, find themselves caught in a dangerous game of political brinkmanship, where access to essential medical care hangs precariously in the balance.
Cover Photo: Depositphotos
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