St. Louis Planned Parenthood Hazardous to Women's Health

The following statement can be attributed to Pam Fichter, President of Missouri Right to Life:

Over the last 4 years it has been reported that more than 23 ambulances have been called to the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in St. Louis. An inspection report issued by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, after a January 2013 inspection, details 14 pages of violations at the St. Louis Planned Parenthood abortion clinic. Although Planned Parenthood claims to have taken corrective action on these violations, the ambulances keep coming.

Following are some of the violations cited in the January 2013 inspection. Imagine the kind of care a woman receives with these violations and you will have no doubt as to why ambulances are a normal sight at the St. Louis Planned Parenthood abortion clinic:

• Violations of infection prevention protocols
• Rusty surgical tables, suction abortion machines, IV stands, and other equipment
• "Copious amounts of dust" in surgical rooms and on equipment
• Retained left-over drugs that were supposed to be destroyed after a single use
• Expired drugs
• Expired postpartum balloons used to reduce hemorrhage after abortion

When you put the above facility violations with the following cited deficiencies in medical training, you will once again see why ambulances are still a normal sight at the St. Louis Planned Parenthood abortion clinic:

• Lack of appropriate drug-handling policies
• Hiring individuals without performing a mandated search of the Employee Disqualification List

Missouri Right to Life calls upon our Missouri Legislators to protect women by passing legislation requiring greater oversight and accountability for abortion procedures. Missouri women deserve better than dirty clinics and untrained staff.