Abortion Clinic in Ohio Closes Down Thanks to Late-term Abortion Ban

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Oct 14, 2013   |   11:48AM   |   Cleveland, OH

Another abortion clinic in Ohio has shut down, the state’s leading pro-life group informed LifeNews today, thanks in part to the state’s law prohibiting abortions late in pregnancy.

Today, Ohio Right to Life confirmed that the Cleveland Center for Women’s Health, owned by late-term abortionist Martin Ruddock, has officially closed. This is the third abortion clinic in Ohio to close its doors in the past six months.

“The fact that this late-term abortionist closed down and moved out of this state demonstrates that common sense pro-life legislation saves lives,” said Mike Gonidakis, President of Ohio Right to Life. “Ohioans overwhelming oppose late-term abortions and reject these despicable practices by so-called doctors like Martin Ruddock and the abortion industry.”

Abortionist Martin Ruddock in an undated picture

Abortionist Martin Ruddock has a history of running afoul of state health regulations. Upon inspection in 2006, Ruddock’s clinic was cited by the Ohio Department of Health for failing to meet basic health standards, such as checking a patient’s vitals before performing a late-term abortion.

“It appears that Martin Ruddock had a consistent track record for disregarding health standards and putting women’s lives in danger,” says Gonidakis. “Women are safer today in Cuyahoga County, because this abortion clinic is closed. We hope that more abortion clinics will close, innocent lives will be saved, and that the abortion industry will continue to be exposed for what it truly is,” says Gonidakis.

A woman was rushed to the hospital last November following a botched abortion at the clinic.

The abortion clinic was forced to temporarily close in 2006 after numerous health violations.

State officials forced an abortion business in Cleveland to close after inspectors found numerous health and safety violations. They found more than a dozen problems at the Center for Women’s Health on the city’s east side, which prompted officials to reject the center’s request for a new state license.

In June 2006, the Ohio Department of Health said CWH did not have a local transfer agreement that would allow it to bring women to a local hospital in cases of botched abortions and other medical emergencies.

The state also said the abortion business failed to meet basic standards for medical care.

Roy Croy, a state health department official who works to oversee ambulatory and surgical care facilities told the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper, “[There were] six to seven patients where there was no record that their temperature or blood pressure had been taken before the [abortion].”

“These are things that should be done before you start surgery,” he said.

Martin Ruddock, who runs the abortion facility, would not agree to an interview request from the Plain Dealer.

Although other abortion facilities in Cleveland do more abortions, the Center for Women’s Health is one of the few to do abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy when women’s health issues and complications from the abortion are at their peak.