Services at Catholic Hospitals

When a Catholic institution takes over a private hospital (“A Collision of Medicine and Faith,” Jan. 3), I can understand the reluctance to provide abortion services. I have less understanding about reproductive services that do not involve the termination of an existing pregnancy, such as tubal ligations and emergency contraception for rape victims. Tubal ligations and emergency contraception help prevent the need for abortions. I have even less understanding when these prohibitions involve tax-supported public institutions and communities with no other alternative health facilities.

But the prohibition of reproductive services has gone even further. When Little Company of Mary Hospital leased a public Redondo Beach facility owned by the tax-supported Beach Cities Health District, it also prohibited fertility procedures such as egg retrievals for in vitro fertilization and even surgery to remove severely damaged tubes prior to IVF.

We need legislation to prevent the dictating of religious dogma to tax-supported public institutions and in communities where there are no alternative health facilities. Catholics, after all, believe in free will. Perhaps people should be allowed to exercise their free will and decide for themselves if they want to use these services.

ARTHUR L. WISOT MD

Reproductive Partners

Redondo Beach