How many examples of a lack of respect for women will we need before it is clear that abortion clinics should be regulated like other ambulatory surgical facilities? Lax, inconsistent standards allowed for the existence of the horrific abortion clinic of Dr. Kermit Gosnell in Philadelphia.
And now, from The Morning Call, “Allentown Medical Services at 2200 Hamilton St. was cited recently for preparing to use unsterilized instruments on patients, having drugs and single-use devices that were past their expiration dates and for splattering blood on the walls and on the floor of a scrub room freezer, according to a state Department of Health report recently made public.”
We often hear abortion referred to as an issue of women’s health. However, in Pennsylvania, freestanding abortion clinics are not subject to the same health standards as other ambulatory surgical facilities. Simply put, the current law favors the abortion industry, not women’s health.
Both chambers of the legislature have been working to address this discrepancy. In May, the House passed House Bill 574 and in June the Senate passed Senate Bill 732.
In late June, the House Health Committee amended and passed Senate Bill 732 with essentially the same language as House Bill 574. After the summer recess, PCC expects the amended Senate Bill 732 will go to the House floor for a vote, and then be sent to the Senate for concurrence.
The need for reform is evident – the state’s abortion industry should not be exempt from commonsense safety standards that apply to other surgery centers. Please contact your legislator today in support of regulating abortion clinics.
