California sues Catholic hospital for denying emergency abortion [View all]

Source: USA Today

Published 12:45 a.m. ET Oct. 1, 2024 | Updated 12:45 a.m. ET Oct. 1, 2024


California on Monday sued a rural Catholic hospital accused of denying an emergency abortion in February to a woman whose water broke prematurely, putting her at risk of potentially life-threatening infection and hemorrhage.

Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, California, is accused of violating multiple state laws by discriminating against pregnant patients and refusing to provide abortion care to people experiencing obstetric emergencies, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said during a Monday news conference. In addition to civil penalties, the lawsuit, filed in Humboldt County Superior Court, also seeks a preliminary injunction against the hospital.

In February, chiropractor and Eureka resident Anna Nusslock was 15 weeks pregnant with twins when her water had prematurely broken, according to the lawsuit. Nusslock said at the news conference Monday that doctors at Providence St. Joseph Hospital told her that her twins would not survive and she needed an abortion to avoid life-threatening complications.

But Providence St. Joseph Hospital refused to provide the abortion, citing a hospital policy that prohibits any medical intervention while there is still a "detectable heartbeat," the lawsuit states.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/10/01/california-hospital-emergency-abortion-lawsuit/75459771007/