Missouri's Governor Continues His Attempts to Impress the Right

[wolf]

Originally Posted by article

On the issue of abortion, Blunt has directed lawmakers to again consider a proposal that would require physicians to have privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic where they perform abortions. Another of Blunt’s proposed abortion restrictions would prohibit anyone from helping a pregnant girl under 18 travel to another state to obtain an abortion without a parent’s consent. Kansas already has a similar law.

I don't see a problem with either specification ... given than an abortion clinic is NOT a hospital, and that sometimes medical procedures performed outside of a hospital might result in complications that are beyond that facility's ability to manage, it only makes sense to have a physician who has privileges at a nearby hospital doing the work ... this can actually streamline the process of getting necessary medical services for the patient. If a physician is not eligible for privileges at a hospital (that means they are allowed to provide treatment services there), why should they be performing a surgical procedure outside of one?

I don't have a problem with parental notification, either. Abortion is a medical procedure. A child under the age of 18 cannot consent to medical treatment in an emergency. A school nurse can't remove a splinter without parental consent. Why should any elective medical procedure be treated differently?