British doctors have said that Americans who do not have access to abortion should receive free services in the UK.
In an urgent debate in response to the decision of the US Supreme Court to overturn Rowe’s decision against Wade, the British Medical Association (BMA) agreed to lobby the UK government on the issue.
The statement came in response to a highly controversial move to end women’s legal right to abortion in the United States. Foreign patients can currently pay for abortions in the UK.
Offering the proposal on Wednesday, Marina Politis, a medical student, said: “Abortion is basic healthcare … [some] cases, the decision of the US Supreme Court is a death sentence.
“In other, less risky pregnancies, this decision still removes the individual’s basic right to choose what happens to his or her own body.
“In the context of a hostile environment, we are seeing increased charging for migrants. We must also provide safe abortion care for all citizens seeking this in the United Kingdom, without subjecting them to pre-tariff rates for patients abroad – and this must be independent of borders that go far beyond the United States.
The proposal was accepted, with 57% of doctors voting in favor of the clause calling on the United Kingdom to offer free abortions to all nationalities, 36% against and 7% abstaining.
Of the 80,000 women who receive abortions from the British Pregnancy Counseling Service each year, 4,000 are international patients.
Women whose governments do not cover the costs will pay between £ 480 and £ 1,510 for the consultation and procedure, depending on the method and how many weeks they are pregnant, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Speaking after the BMA’s annual representative meeting, Politis said she was “proud to see that our profession is committed to global reproductive rights.”
“It is crucial that we stand in solidarity with the American Medical Association and our US counterparts,” she told the Guardian. “The adoption of this proposal emphasizes that we do not support this dangerous erosion of reproductive rights, which is also an erosion of human rights.
“It is imperative that the adoption of this proposal is just the beginning and that this policy is put in place.”
Members also agreed to publicly condemn the reversal of Roe v. Wade’s decision and to support American doctors who perform abortions. They called on the UK government to “strengthen [its] own abortion provision ‘.
Dr Lisa Egbert of the American Medical Association (AMA) said: “The AMA is grateful to the British Association for adding your voice, recognizing access to basic medical care as a fundamental human right.
Boris Johnson called the US court ruling a “step back”, while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also joined the widespread condemnation among world leaders. Joe Biden, the president of the United States, called the move a “tragic mistake.”
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