After Shocking Abuses, Virginia Cracks Down on Abortion Clinics

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Sep 14, 2012   |   3:01PM   |   Richmond, VA

After reports of shocking abuses at abortion facilities in Virginia — including the remains of aborted unborn babies in freezers and uncleaned blood splattered on operating room tables – the state health board is cracking down.

The Virginia Board of Health voted 13-2 to approve broad, new regulations on abortion clinics that holds them accountable for abuses and makes them abide by the same kinds of standards that cover legitimate medical centers.

The regulations cover Virginia’s 20 existing abortion clinics and require them to do everything from meeting the same architectural standards as new hospitals to ensuring staff are properly trained and licensed. The board previously voted in June to exempt existing abortion clinics from the new regulations but Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said the board exceeded its authority and refused to accept them — making the board vote again today.

Victoria Cobb, President of the Family Foundation released two reports based on documents her group obtained showing massive abuses.

“Not unexpectedly, the abortion industry has dismissed these discoveries, as they dismissed the blood-saturated patient table in a Roanoke Planned Parenthood center, and indicated that the centers involved were immediately granted licenses,” she said. “But the truth is something different.  To receive licenses, the centers must provide a plan to correct the problems that is acceptable to the Department of Health and then actually fix them.  This is an industry that seems incapable of telling the truth.”

“Incredibly, responding to the discovery of a freezer full of fetal remains and blood, the abortion center’s plan is to simply “buy a new freezer.”  No indication of a plan to actually train staff on proper treatment of the “conception material” or plans to prevent the problem in the future were indicated,” Cobb continued. “The best the industry can argue seems to be the 80 violations in nine abortion centers is not bad enough to close them down, so everything is fine.  So, apparently, the standard of care in Virginia’s abortion centers isn’t to be the safest and cleanest, it’s just be good enough to not get shut down!  Women deserve better.”

The Virginia Society for Human Life also lobbied the board to accept the new regulations.

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“VSHL does not accept the amendment to exempt the existing abortion facilities made by the Board of Health at their June meeting.   The amendment is not in accordance with the requirements set forth by the General Assembly,” it said.

“The loud and angry resistance to these much needed regulations is evidence that abortion providers, such Virginia League for Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-choice Virginia, are not concerned with the safety of the women who seek their services,” said Olivia Gans Turner, President of VSHL.

“Abortion is big business in Virginia.  Women and their unborn babies, who die in every abortion, pay the highest cost!  The women of Virginia are waiting for the Board of Health to look out for their protection, not abortionists!” continued Gans.