On Tuesday, Journalist,
John Celock reported in The Huffington
Post that Arizona Senate approved a bill that prohibits a doctor from
facing medical malpractice lawsuit if
the doctor withholds information that would lead the women to have
an abortion. Republican Senator, Nancy Barto of Arizona sponsored the law
because she did not want parents to sue doctors, if their children are born
with disabilities.
Blogger Susie Madrak followed that
decision with an article in Crooks
and Liars entitled “AZ Senate Votes for Bill Allowing
Doctors to Deny Pregnant Women Info about Genetic Testing.” Madrak condemns the
Bill, saying that it was the same Republicans who were concerned about the Government
“getting between citizens and their doctors” now doing the same ; the
Republicans have been especially critical about the Democrats’ Affordable Care Act.
Like Ms.Madrak,I am
aghast to hear about the passing of the Bill. How could there be a bill that
prohibits a doctor from giving a women informtion about genetic testing? What
about that woman’s safety? What about the preparation for the new baby’s
safety? Moreover, I do not think that parents would simply abort their child
because he or she has a disability. I definitely agree with Madrak that parents
should be informed about the state of their child. However, unlike Madrak, who
said “not
everyone can afford to take care of a child with a serious disability.” I
cannot yet find myself equating the life of a child (if it were mine) with disabilities,
with cost, bills, income and money. I do realize that she is being practical
and realistic, and that money is a real issue which probably lead to the
lawsuits by parents against the physician.
I think a child with disability exudes
unconditional love and god like innocence, but that does not stop the fact that
parents need to know and decide if they want to have that experience or not.
Like Madrak , I do not think that the government should come between a woman
and her doctor. A woman needs to know the results of her genetic testing for
her own safety and that of her child.
