Abortions have stopped in one area of Northern Ireland due to the rise in COVID-19 patients, and Amnesty International is very unhappy about it.
The organization, which is committed to advocating for extreme abortion access, published a press release on January 5th, the same day the South Eastern Health Trust stopped referring for chemical abortions (the abortion pill) due to the necessity of allocating its resources for treating patients with COVID-19. It is demanding that abortions continue despite the huge spike in COVID-19 cases, and as even as urgent cancer surgeries are being canceled in nearby Belfast due to the influx of COVID-19 patients. This particular area is one of the hardest hit.
“Abortion is legal and women must not be refused this service,” Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International Northern Ireland’s Director in the press release. “The Health Minister must urgently commission these services and ensure all of [sic] health trusts have the necessary resources to care for those who need this healthcare. If Robin Swann continues to refuse to act, then-Secretary of State Brandon Lewis must intervene.”
In contrast to Amnesty International’s demands, the Department of Health has stated it is not legally required to commission abortion services.
READ: Abortion pill reversal saves preborn baby and gives mother hope
In 2019, the legalization of abortion was forced on Northern Ireland by the British Government in Westminster, despite assurances that Westminster had no authority to touch the issue. As recently as 2016, Northern Ireland had rejected a referendum to liberalize abortion laws in the country. The new abortion regime, which went into effect in March of 2020, allows for abortion up to 12 weeks for any reason. Abortion is also legal up to 24 weeks if there is a risk to the mother’s life or health, which would include the mother’s mental health. This vagueness in the law technically allows for abortion on demand through 24 weeks. In the UK, 98% of abortions are committed based on alleged mental health concerns.
In the face of overwhelming opposition to the decriminalization of abortion, the government of Northern Ireland has had difficulty finding health care providers to do abortions, as most doctors do not want to provide abortions.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many elective procedures to be postponed, however, abortion business around the globe continue to erroneously insist that abortion is essential health care.
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