So many doctors are being driven away by Idaho abortion ban that this hospital can't deliver babies anymore
An Idaho hospital has announced that it will no longer be able to deliver babies because the state’s near-total abortion ban — one of the most extreme in the U.S. — has driven so many doctors away.
Bonner General Health, the only hospital in Sandpoint, Idaho, said in a statement last Friday that they had to discontinue obstetrical services, which will be phased out by May.
One of the reasons the hospital says it made the “emotional and difficult decision” to discontinue these services is because doctors are leaving Idaho.
“Highly respected, talented physicians are leaving. Recruiting replacements will be extraordinarily difficult,” the statement reads.
“In addition, the Idaho Legislature continues to introduce and pass bills that criminalize physicians for medical care nationally recognized as the standard of care. Consequences for Idaho Physicians providing the standard of care may include civil litigation and criminal prosecution, leading to jail time or fines.”
The hospital already has a low patient volume in terms of kids and births, and noted that birth levels in the area have gone down, making it hard to attract doctors when so many are leaving the state due to the political climate, according to the statement.
“Without pediatrician coverage to manage neonatal resuscitations and perinatal care, it is unsafe and unethical to offer routine Labor and Delivery services; despite our best efforts over months of negotiations,” the statement said.
Bonner General serves a community of around 57,000 people. According to the Idaho Statesman, once Bonner General stops delivering babies in May, the nearest hospital where obstetrical services are provided is about an hour drive away.
"We have made every effort to avoid eliminating these services," Ford Elsaesser, Bonner General Health's board president, said in the hospital’s release. "We hoped to be the exception, but our challenges are impossible to overcome now.”
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. has seen abortion rights stripped in numerous states.
In Idaho, abortion is banned in almost all cases, except to save the mother’s life or for documented instances of rape or incest. Physicians in Idaho can be hit with felony charges and have their medical license revoked for performing an abortion.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Early estimates indicate 200 structures damaged in Halifax-area wildfire
Approximately 200 homes or structures have been damaged by the wildfire that began burning Sunday in the Upper Tantallon, N.S., area, according to preliminary estimates.

Danielle Smith's UCP holds onto power in Alberta
Danielle Smith is still the premier of Alberta, surviving a vigorous campaign and a tight vote Monday against NDP challenger Rachel Notley.
Top AI CEOs, experts raise 'risk of extinction' from AI
Top artificial intelligence executives including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday joined experts and professors in raising the 'risk of extinction from AI,' which they urged policymakers to equate at par with risks posed by pandemics and nuclear war.
opinion | Tom Mulcair: David Johnston should leave graciously while he still can
If indeed a majority of the House of Commons says David Johnston has to step down, he'll have no choice but he shouldn’t wait to be shoved. He should leave graciously while he still can, writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair.
Lone tenant in a $400-a-month apartment could hold up major Montreal condo project
Carla White is the only remaining tenant in her building, which is slated to be demolished to make room for a 176-unit condo project. But in order to move forward, the developer must reach an agreement with White -- and she says she won't leave until she's provided with a home that offers the long-term stability she needs to ensure she won't end up back on the streets.
opinion | Find out how much contribution room is left in your RESP to avoid penalties
Opening a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) is a great way to fund your child’s future education. Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew outlines the contribution rules for RESPs and explains how to find out how much contribution room you have left so that you can avoid penalties.
Taipei's hottest new menu item is a 14-legged crustacean
A 14-legged giant isopod is the highlight of a new dish at a ramen restaurant in Taipei and it has people queuing up—both for pictures and for a bite from this bowl of noodles.
China launches new crew for space station, with eye to putting astronauts on moon before 2030
China launched a new three-person crew for its orbiting space station on Tuesday, with an eye to putting astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade.
Russia says drones lightly damage Moscow buildings before dawn, while Ukraine's capital bombarded
A rare drone attack jolted Moscow early Tuesday, causing only light damage but forcing evacuations as residential buildings were struck in the Russian capital for the first time in the war against Ukraine. The Kremlin, meanwhile, pursued its relentless bombardment of Kyiv with a third assault on the city in 24 hours.