Dr. Manny: Let the Gosnell verdict be a warning to others

FILE - March 8, 2010: Dr. Kermit Gosnell is seen during an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News at his attorney's office in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Philadelphia Daily News, Yong Kim, File)

The Philadelphia doctor accused of performing illegal, late-term abortions in his filthy clinic has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of three babies.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the overdose death of one of his patients, but acquitted in the charge of murder in the death of a fourth baby.

While the defense had argued there were no live births at the clinic, prosecutors say 72-year-old Gosnell delivered the living babies before having their spines severed with scissors to kill them. They say the baby whose death he was cleared in let out a soft whimper before Gosnell cut its neck, according to the Associated Press.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

So let this verdict be a warning to others.

I applaud the decision of the jury in their conviction of Gosnell of first-degree murder in at least three of these tragic deaths.

As a practicing high-risk OB-GYN who delivers many premature babies, I feel that what went on in that clinic was truly horrific, and deserves the highest degree of punishment possible.

Let this also be a warning to city and state officials who failed to do their jobs of checking up on this death clinic, knowing full well that they have a moral and ethical responsibility to respond when citizens file complaints. Gosnell’s clinic was hardly ever inspected, and those city and state officials should bear a degree of guilt in allowing this doctor to practice the way he did.

In the aftermath of this despicable case, I hope that political pundits don’t spin this story into an issue purely of abortion, but take the opportunity to discuss how to improve women’s health services in this country.