A Melbourne doctor may be stripped of his medical licence after he refused to give a couple an abortion because they only wanted to have a boy.
The Medical Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) have investigated Sunshine general practitioner, Dr Mark Hobart, 55, for five months.
Dr Hobart, who has practised for 27 years, has been investigated by the board under the Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 for failing to refer a female patient seeking treatment and advice on abortion to a non-objecting practitioner, for demonstrating a disregard for his obligations as a medical practitioner and for disregarding patient rights.
The couple, who is reportedly Indian, had asked Dr Hobart to refer them to an abortion clinic after discovering at 19 weeks they were having a girl when they wanted a boy, but he refused.
Dr Hobart had a moral objection to providing the abortion and says he could not refer the patient as he did not know a doctor who would agree to abort a healthy baby for sex selection reasons.
"It's very wrong, I don't know any doctor in Victoria that would be willing to refer a woman that wanted to have an abortion just because of gender at 19 weeks," Dr Hobart said.
"I refused to refer the patient because there was no medical reason to do it and it offended my moral conscience," he said.
But for refusing to provide a referral to another doctor, Dr Hobart could face suspension or even be deregistered.
"The pregnancy was well advanced and I refused to refer the patient because there was no medical reason to do it," he said.
"I think it demonstrates the problem with abortion law that stops doctors from using their conscience whether it is appropriate or not."
Dr Hobart's patient went ahead with the abortion a few days later.
He said his requests for the identity of his accusers and details of the complaint have been denied by the board.
Victoria's Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 specifies if a woman requests a doctor to advise on a proposed abortion and the practitioner has a conscientious objection, he or she must refer the woman to a practitioner who does not conscientiously object.
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