Two recent events in Pennsylvania have helped highlight the abortion industry’s corruption, while underscoring the urgent need for change.
On May 26, the state Department of Health inspected Allentown Medical Services, an abortion clinic, and found the following violations.
- Procedure Room 1 – metal vaginal speculums, and metal extenders, both used on patients in abortions, were not wrapped to maintain sterility.
- Procedure Room 1 – a vial of Naloxone HCl 1 ml. had expired.
- Procedure Room 1 – patient care items were stored directly on the floor.
- Procedure Room 2 – a sterile wrapped packet, which contained nine dilators for patient use, had two holes in the wrapping.
- Procedure Room 2 – two Clonidine 0.1 mg. tablets had expired.
- Procedure Room 2 – surgical instruments, considered ready for patient use, had an accumulation of brown debris in the hinge areas and brown staining on the inside of the packages.
- Procedure Room 2 – sterile packages of surgical instruments had expired.
- Procedure Room 2 – metal vaginal speculums, considered ready for patient use, were stored, unwrapped, in drawers containing dust, dirt, debris, and hair.
- Recovery Area – the pillows, blankets and heating pad covers used by patients were taken home and cleaned by staff “every once in a while.”
- Laboratory Room – patient care items were stored directly on the floor.
- Scrub Room – a freezer was splattered and smeared with blood; a thick layer of blood was on the bottom of the freezer.
- Scrub Room – surgical instruments, considered sterile, had parts protruding their wrapping, and were stored in a suitcase with a musty odor.
Only a few months earlier, on January 19, a Grand Jury investigation of the Women’s Medical Society, the abortion clinic operated in West Philadelphia by Dr. Kermit Gosnell, summarized its findings as follows.
- Gosnell staffed his decrepit and unsanitary clinic entirely with unlicensed personnel.
- He let his staff practice medicine on unsuspecting patients, unsupervised.
- He directed his staff to heavily drug patients in his absence.
- He regularly performed abortions beyond the 24-week limit prescribed by law, and killed viable babies after birth by plunging scissors into their spinal cords.
- He taught his staff to do the same.
Of course, the enactment and enforcement of strict regulations would have prevented these atrocities. So, how are pro-abortion proponents in Pennsylvania reacting to new regulations designed to do just that? Not well.
- Andy Hoover, legislative director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, is concerned about money. He complains the new regulations will “cost abortion providers hundreds of thousands of dollars in building renovations and staff increases.”
- Sari Stevens, executive director for Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates, agrees.
- Sen. Shirley Kitchen, D-Philadelphia, upset that new regulations might raise the price of an abortion, calls the safeguards “an assault on women.”
- Dayle Steinberg, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, insists that “abortion in Pennsylvania is already an over-regulated procedure.” She says Planned Parenthood doesn’t support stricter regulations on abortions, and she shrugs off criticism, arguing it’s “difficult to prevent a few doctors from crossing ethical lines” because “there are always going to be people who will break the laws.” Wow.
One quick question, Dayle. What happened to all the concern for women’s health?
