“Forcing me to refer for abortion would force me to move provinces or leave the country to practice family medicine.”
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has no right to force my hand in doing what my medical judgment tells me is wrong. Forcing me to refer for abortion would force me to move provinces or leave the country to practice family medicine. Dr. Marc Gabel, who chairs a working group on this issue, has been reported as saying that “physicians unwilling to provide or facilitate abortion for reasons of conscience should not be family physicians.” But he doesn’t have the right to tell family doctors to change specialties over abortion referral! This is not about access, it is about conformity! And we won’t conform. I invite you to visit the website and join me and sign the petition.
Dr. Martin Owen MD CCFP
Family physician
Member of the Ontario and Alberta Medical Associations