Labrador tells docs don’t worry. We can’t trust one word that comes out of his mouth | Opinion

Physicians take an oath to act in the best interest of patients’ health and well-being. This professional ethic compels doctors and other health care providers to offer timely, evidence-based medical care in order to save lives whenever possible. Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s contradictory statements and legally dubious actions have sown confusion and undermined the ability of physicians to uphold this sacred duty.

Labrador infamously claimed that “nobody dies because they don’t have access to health care.” This flies in the face of decades of research demonstrating that delaying or denying care results in worse outcomes, including preventable deaths. He has evidently had a change of heart, reporting now that timely care can save lives, and that access to medical care should not be withheld to preserve a pregnant woman’s life if the treatment requires an abortion.

Labrador attempts to gaslight the public by dismissing well-founded concerns from doctors that Idaho’s new abortion law requires them to transport patients out-of-state for life-saving care. This April on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court he accused hospitals of “fearmongering” and insinuated they were lying about real cases requiring emergency transfers. This is an unacceptable attack on the medical profession’s integrity.

In an abrupt turn, Labrador now claims his office will ensure “every woman’s life is safeguarded” under Idaho’s abortion ban, which he defended before the Court. However, Labrador’s casual disregard for legal and ethical norms as attorney general leaves little reason for physicians to trust his assurances.

This is the same Labrador who has repeatedly violated his professional ethics by suing his own clients. This includes the Department of Health and Welfare employees and Department of Health and Welfare employees. These breaches undermine the credibility of reassurances from the office of the Attorney General.

Labrador’s pursuit of his personal agenda before his duties to the state raises doubt about whether he could be an impartial arbiter of what constitutes a life-threatening medical emergency. Physicians risk prison time, let alone loss of their medical licenses, by acting according to their best clinical judgment and ethical obligations.

The people of Idaho deserve to have faith that doctors will not be obstructed from providing medical care necessary to protect their lives. Unfortunately, Labrador’s own words and deeds have undermined such trust. Under Labrador, the state’s physicians have ample justification to approach any reassurances from his office with extreme skepticism.

Dr. Andrew Wilper is a physician in Boise, where he practices medicine and cares for veterans. His family has lived and worked in Idaho since the 1890’s. His opinions are his own and do not reflect the opinions or policies of his employer. He has expertise in hospital operations, health policy, graduate medical education and health services research.