California Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing a rural Catholic hospital for allegedly refusing to perform on abortion on a patient.
According to POLITICO, the pregnancy was “not viable” and her health was “at risk.” This is the first time a state has gone after a hospital for something like this post-Dobbs, the outlet noted.
“We have a hospital policy reminiscent of heartbeat laws in extremist red states,” Bonta reportedly said at a press conference Monday. “We’ve heard tragic stories from across the country of women denied life-saving treatment, but it usually comes out of states that have outlawed abortion. We’re not immune from this problem.”
In February, the patient, Anna Nusslock’s, 36, water broke. She was 15 weeks pregnant with twins at the time.
Reportedly, doctors at Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka told her that her pregnancy was no longer viable. Nusslock reportedly claimed that she was sent home with towels to help with her bleeding (via POLITICO):
The case accuses the Eureka hospital of violating state laws by not providing abortions for people experiencing miscarriages or “other obstetric emergencies.” The hospital has a policy that prohibits the termination of a pregnancy when there is a “detectable heartbeat,” until there was immediate risk to Nusslock’s life, according to the complaint.
According to The New York Times, the babies still had heartbeats when Nusslock was at the hospital. She left the Eureka hospital and went to the next closest one, where she was hemorrhaging and passing a blood clot “the size of an apple.” Then, she expelled one fetus. She went to the operating room “so the other fetus could be removed,” the Times added.
California, one of the strongest pro-abortion states in the nation, has enacted laws protecting abortion in the aftermath of Dobbs. On Saturday, Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law going after pro-life supporters who protest in front of abortion clinics.
Under the new state law, AB 2099, those who violate the California Freedom of Access to Clinics and Church Entrances Act could be subject to felony charges, the Los Angeles Times reported. Previously, those who violated these faced misdemeanor charges.