Abortionist top doc at Catholic hospital

In what critics have called an "obscene" hypocrisy, a Granite City,
Ill., Catholic hospital has as its chief of staff an
obstetrician/gynecology specialist who operates an abortion clinic
directly across the street.

Dr. Yogendra Shah, named chief of staff of St. Elizabeth Medical
Center three years ago, also operates

The Hope Clinic, which "performs first and second trimester abortions in a caring, supportive environment," according to the clinic's website.

Lobby of the Hope Clinic in Granite City, Ill.

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Shah has been on staff at the hospital -- which is operated by the Sisters of Divine Providence order -- for about 20 years.

Allison Hyle, a spokesman for Hope, told WorldNetDaily Shah was unavailable for comment. But she confirmed Shah's status at the medical center and said the clinic performed about "7,000 abortions per year."

"I don't have it broken down by month," she added.

Also offensive to many pro-life advocates, besides Shah's apparent conflict of interest, is some of the information published on the clinic's website.

For example, the clinic publishes

its fee schedule for early and mid-term pregnancies. And the clinic also performs abortions past 24 weeks,

though it
advertises such services as being accepted "on a case-by-case basis."

And, the site prominently reminds underage teens considering an abortion that

"No parental or spousal consent is required for a
patient to have an abortion at our clinic."

WorldNetDaily made several attempts to contact senior managers at St. Elizabeth, but no phone calls were returned.

The Vatican adamantly opposes abortion in all cases, including cases where a woman becomes pregnant after a sexual assault. The Catholic Church most often recommends the mother offer the child for adoption or consider raising the child instead of seeking an abortion.

Most Catholic hospitals in the U.S. don't permit abortions onsite. Those facilities transfer women seeking abortions to other facilities or recommend other physicians who will perform them.

Granite City is located about 10 miles east of St. Louis.