In an -out-of-court settlement, University General Hospital in Dallas has restored the admitting privileges of two area doctors after they were revoked because the doctors perform abortions.
In April, Dr. Lamar Robinson and Dr. Jasbir Ahluwalia filed suit against the hospital for revoking their admitting privileges, which are now required for doctors performing abortions under House Bill 2, which was passed last summer.
Center for Reproductive Rights attorney Esha Bhandari, who represented one of the men in court, said when University General revoked the admitting privileges it hurt a community needing their services.
“The doctors were critical providers at their clinics," Bhandari said. "One of them was the sole provider at his clinic, the other one was one of two doctors at his clinic.”
The suit against the hospital charged them with violating a Texas law that a hospital cannot discriminate against a doctor performing abortions.
“Hospitals have to follow the law that prevents discrimination and it’s important that they not bow to pressure or other considerations when evaluating the credentials of these physicians,” Bhandari said.
In the first challenge against HB2 brought by Planned Parenthood, the Texas attorney general's office argued that abortion clinics, and their doctors, would not be discriminated against by hospitals because of the Texas statute.
Kyleen Wright with Texans for Life Coalition said the hospital could’ve done more to keep their doctors from performing abortions.
“This is one of the clinics that we got such a strong complaint about," Wright said. "It’s unfortunate that the law didn’t do their due diligence.”
