DUBLIN, Ireland, May 9, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) — An honored Irish OB/GYN has defended the endangered Eighth Amendment, saying it has never threatened the life and health of pregnant Irish women.
Mr Trevor Hayes, the consultant named Ireland’s “Obstetrician of the Year” by Maternity & Infant magazine in 2009 and 2013, spoke earlier this month at a Dublin press conference called by the pro-Eighth Amendment “Love Both Project”.
In Ireland, as in the United Kingdom, a specialist uses “Mr” and not “Dr” as a courtesy title.
The veteran of a 20-year career in medicine, Hayes attacked the false narrative that the Eighth Amendment endangers Irish women:
“In my many years of medical practice, I have never been prevented by the Eighth Amendment from doing everything necessary to fully care for women and to fully protect them in my practice,” he said.
“Any suggestion that Irish doctors cannot intervene to protect women is deliberately misinforming the Irish public and creating unnecessary fears,” Hayes continued. “I’ve never gambled with the lives of my patients. I’ve never lost a mother. The Eighth Amendment has never prevented me from doing my job to the best of my ability.”
Hayes said professional guidelines for obstetricians are very clear that they may “intervene” to protect the life of a mother. Doctors do not even have to wait until the threat to life is imminent. Meanwhile, he is “concerned” about the untruths being reported about the state of mother’s health services in Ireland.
“I am very concerned that recent weeks have seen significant and untrue public statements about the practice of maternal healthcare in this country,” he said. “No doctor doing their job properly would wait until there is an immediate and critical threat to a pregnant woman’s life before acting to protect the woman, the Eighth Amendment does not stop me from doing my job. Never has and never will.”
The veteran consultant stated that if the Eighth Amendment were to be abolished, 99 percent of the ensuing abortions would not be done to preserve the mother’s life.
“If repeal were to happen, 99 percent of abortions would take place for any reason at all or on supposed mental health grounds. That’s the reality based on what has happened in other countries, but you wouldn’t think it based on how the present debate is being conducted,” he said.
The Eighth Amendment to the Irish Constitution guarantees the right to life of the unborn child. After years of criticism by the UN for Ireland’s pro-life stand, the Irish government is holding a national referendum vote on May in an attempt to abolish the Eighth Amendment.