‘They see us as property’: Georgia proves its more interested in optics than obstetrics when it fires every member of maternal death review board

Georgia just fired every single member of its Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC). The official reason? A so-called confidentiality breach. The real reason? The committee’s findings about two preventable deaths were just a little too honest.

The two deaths that lit this firestorm, Amber Thurman and Candi Miller, became lightning rods for a conversation no one in power seems ready to have. Thurman died after her doctors waited over 20 hours to perform a routine procedure because the state criminalized it. Miller died after trying an at-home abortion because Georgia made it impossible for her to seek safe care. Both cases were ruled preventable by the MMRC, which dared to say out loud what Georgia’s leaders don’t want to admit. And for that, every committee member was kicked to the curb.

Dr. Kathleen Toomey, Georgia’s top health official, delivered the pink slips in a rude letter: “Confidential information provided to the Maternal Mortality Review Committee was inappropriately shared with outside individuals.” Yes, you can go ahead and read that again. Two women died because of an idiotic law, but that’s not the issue here. How dare the committee put its effort into finding out the truth and not pay attention to confidentiality? Toomey vowed to restructure the committee to “ensure better oversight.” Translation? The state didn’t like what the committee found and is scrambling to regain control of the narrative.

Let’s not pretend that this isn’t a scare tactic designed to make anyone second-guessing the effects of Georgia’s abortion law think twice before speaking up. Why is this committee important, however? What was its job? Georgia has a maternal death rate that is double the national average. The MMRC was doing the work of connecting the dots between policy and real-life tragedy. And now? They’ve been silenced and dismissed for daring to look too closely at the ugly truth.

As expected, people are frustrated with the firing of the committee’s members. Anyone with a little bit of sense would be shocked by this. Candi Miller’s family, who took some comfort in the committee’s finding, are left reeling. “It feels like they’re erasing what happened to her,” said Miller’s sister. How many doctors, nurses, or policy experts will want to serve on a board that could get disbanded the second it touches a political nerve?

It’s hard not to see this as Georgia’s desperate attempt to dodge accountability for the human toll of its abortion ban. And the timing? Suspicious, to say the least. Abortion rights were a huge issue during the election. This isn’t just about confidentiality; it’s about optics. Georgia’s leaders don’t want to talk about the consequences of laws they proudly promote as “pro-life.” What’s so “pro-life” about two women dying?

Meanwhile, the MMRC’s work is supposedly being “restructured” with new members and an “improved process.” But what does that even mean? Are they vetting applicants for loyalty to the abortion ban? Are they making sure that no one can ever connect the dots between legislation and maternal deaths again? The state’s health department isn’t offering answers; an official said the letter “speaks for itself.” Very convenient.

What bothers us the most is that Georgia’s own data proves how much is at stake here. Of the 113 pregnancy-related deaths reviewed in its report, 101 were deemed preventable. Let that sink in: Nearly nine out of ten maternal deaths in Georgia didn’t need to happen. This isn’t governance; it’s damage control at the expense of human lives.