Texas Women Ask Feds To Investigate Denial Of Care In Ectopic Pregnancies

Two women are asking federal health authorities to investigate Texas hospitals for denying them abortions for dangerous ectopic pregnancies, their lawyers announced on Monday. Via Reuters:

The complaints with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), dated Aug. 6, accuse Ascension Seton Williamson Hospital in Round Rock and Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital in Arlington of violating a federal law requiring hospitals to treat emergency medical conditions.

[...] Texas bans abortion in nearly all cases, but allows it in the case of ectopic pregnancy. Nonetheless, Kyleigh Thurman alleges in her complaint that Ascension turned her away in February 2023, even after her doctor diagnosed her with an ectopic pregnancy.

Thurman returned to the hospital three days later with continuing bleeding, and was given an injection to terminate her ectopic pregnancy, but the treatment was too late. Thurman suffered a rupture that required emergency surgery to remove her right fallopian tube, potentially harming her future fertility, according to her complaint.

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