Dozens of protesters have begun to gather outside Starship Hospital this morning as the baby at the centre of an unusual case is getting surgery.
The case has been in the High Court at Auckland this week after the parents refused to consent to the surgery if health authorities could not give them assurances that the blood products that would need to be used had not come from people who have had the Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine.
This morning, protesters carrying signs calling for the Government to intervene and stop the surgery congregated outside the hospital.
On Wednesday, Justice Ian Gault approved an application from Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand to have guardianship of the baby transferred to the court so the surgery could proceed.
The baby is expected to get surgery today, despite the parents threatening health staff with legal action. (Source: 1News)
Yesterday morning, the parents' lawyer Sue Grey said in the statement they would not be appealing the decision.
But in an unusual late-evening minute, Justice Gault said their position had changed.
"Staff at Te Toka Tumai have endeavoured to take steps to prepare [the baby] for surgery, including taking blood tests, performing a chest x-ray and performing an anaesthetic assessment.
"[The lawyer for Te Whatu Ora] understands that the parents prevented this occurring, and advised health staff that 'you touch our child and we will press criminal charges against you'," the minute read.
Police had been contacted, it said.
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