Bogotá, Colombia, May 12, 2008 / 01:42 pm (CNA).- Dr. Jorge Merchan Price, a general surgeon at the Javerian University, together with leaders of the movement “Blue Doctors” (Medicos azules), has sent an open letter to all gynecologists who perform abortions and to the Colombian Federation of Associations of Gynecology and Obstetrics, urging them to respect the right to life of the unborn as an essential part of their medical practice.

In the letter, which comes two years after Colombia legalized abortion and more than 100 legal abortions have taken place, Dr. Merchan points out that “abortion continues to be a clandestine practice in Colombia, just as it was before it was legalized. This decision did not achieve its objectives with respect to the misunderstood freedom of women and in fact distorted the fundamental and universal right to freedom of conscience especially in the medical community.”

“The consciences of doctors,” he writes, “and with them the universal medical morality, are being held hostage by an arbitrary and capricious ruling of the Constitutional Court with regard to conditional conscientious objection.”

“Doctors do not kill because ‘killing’ is not a medical act: it does not restore health and it does not preserve life,” he added.

Dr. Merchan also pointed out that currently in Colombia, “abortion gynecologists are the ones directly responsible for this unnatural and atrocious crime. And it’s because you, as the directors of the Colombian Federation of Associations of Gynecology and Obstetrics have not only ‘abandoned’ your fellow gynecologists who do respect life and do not want to perform abortions (and who fortunately make up the majority), but you have also lacked the character and the courage to defend the spirit of your profession.”

Merchan accused the Federation of contributing to its own loss of ethical standing by forgetting that its main role and responsibility is not to justify the unjustifiable through the prostitution of the universal and fundamental mission of doctors.”

“That women have the right to abort does not mean that doctors are obligated to kill,” he said.  “Doctors do not kill!”

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