A New Mexico late-term abortionist admitted that they tell women not to go to the emergency room if they are experiencing abortion complications in a newly-released video from Abortion On Trial.
Carmen Landau, a late-term abortionist at Southwestern Women’s Options in Albuquerque, reportedly made the comments during an Oct. 25 deposition in the wrongful death case of Keisha Marie Atkins. In 2017, Atkins, 23, died shortly after her unborn baby was aborted at the abortion facility. Landau and fellow abortionists Curtis Boyd and Shannon Carr are being sued for negligence in Atkins’ death.
In the video, Landau said they tell patients not to call 911 or go to the emergency room if they are suffering from complications.
“We will see you here in our office if necessary — do not go to the emergency room; call our phone number below with any concerns and we will take care of you, no matter the time of day or night,” Southwestern Women’s Options states in an information sheet that it gives to patients.
When asked why the instructions tell women not to go to the emergency room, Landau replied: “Because often times when unexpected or concerning things are happening overnight, … the first impulse would be to go to the emergency room. And the emergency room personnel are, in the vast majority of cases, not the best qualified to take care of a patient who’s undergoing an abortion procedure. We are.”
She then was asked why she believes emergency room medical professionals are not qualified to help women suffering from emergency complications.
“Emergency room personnel are the best people to see when you’re having an emergency, not when you’re having an abortion,” she answered. “If you’re having an abortion, then your abortion doctor is the most qualified person to take care of you.”
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Interestingly, this seems to contradict a recent Louisiana case at the U.S. Supreme Court where abortionists in the state argued that they do not need hospital admitting privileges to treat patients suffering from emergency complications. Their argument assumes that emergency room staff are well qualified to treat women suffering from emergency abortion complications.
The deposition continued with Landau being asked for more details about emergency complications.
When Landau was specifically asked if a patient experiencing an emergency should go straight to the emergency room, she said no, seemingly stalling. “What is your definition of an emergency?” she responded.
The interviewer then asked Landau if Southwestern Women’s Options abortion clients are given a list of possible emergencies that would necessitate going to the ER. And still, her answer was no. After another long pause, Landau finally answered, “I have — I believe that that list would be too long to give to a person, and so on the contrary, we tell them all of the reasons to call us.”
Asked if her abortion facility discourages patients from contacting hospitals or emergency rooms, Landau said yes.
Keisha Marie Atkins died in 2017 while experiencing complications from a septic infection during an elective late-term abortion at Landau’s abortion facility, according to the New Mexico Alliance for Life.
Atkins’ mother, Tina, and sister, Nicole, are suing on her behalf.
According to KOB News 4, Atkins went to the abortion facility Feb. 1, 2017, where her unborn baby was aborted. She was about six months pregnant.
Two days later, according to the lawsuit, she went back to the abortion facility complaining of breathing trouble and a high fever. After 10 hours, the abortion facility called for an ambulance to take Atkins to the hospital, and she died there a short time later, according to the lawsuit.
The University of New Mexico Hospital and the abortion facility are accused of medical malpractice, wrongful death and civil conspiracy in the lawsuit; the abortion facility also allegedly violated the New Mexico Unfair Trade Practices Act by telling Atkins not to go to the emergency room but to contact the abortion facility if she experienced a medical emergency.
Operation Rescue and Abortion Free New Mexico, which have been following the case as well, also suspected a cover-up. The groups obtained Atkins’ autopsy report along with a CAD printout of a 911 call from the abortion facility on the date of Atkins’ death. The groups said both documents raised serious questions about the mishandling of Atkins’ medical emergency, and raised their suspicions of an attempted cover-up.
