Federal officials are investigating whether Canadian healthcare workers could face legal risks for providing abortion services to Americans from states where the procedure has been banned.
A Health Canada spokeswoman said the government is reviewing the matter in response to concerns raised by an organization that provides legal support to doctors.
The Canadian Medical Protective Association wrote a letter this week calling on federal officials to work with their provincial counterparts to protect Canadian doctors from possible lawsuits if US states try to block residents from accessing abortions. outside their borders.
The association said in a statement Wednesday that legal matters outside of Canada are not part of its mandate and encouraged its members who provide abortions to American patients to seek additional liability protection.
In an email to The Canadian Press, Health Canada spokeswoman Anna Maddison says the federal government “unequivocally” supports access to safe abortions, but provinces are responsible for protecting the liability of doctors.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on July 8, 2022.
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