Protestors Point to Massive Health Problems at Penn Abortion Biz

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jul 18, 2011   |   1:49PM   |   Allentown, PA

Pro-life protestors turned up Saturday morning at the abortion business in Allentown, Pennsylvania, that recently came under scrutiny from state health officials after an inspection revealed significant problems.

State inspectors found Allentown Medical Services had multiple health and safety problems that could endanger women’s health and it continues to operate amid the complaints. Officials indicated the abortion facility received citations concerning using unsterilized instruments on women, having drugs and reproductive devices on hand that were past their expiration date. Abortion clinic inspectors also found blood splattered on the walls and floor of a freezer, according to a report the Pennsylvania Health Department made public.

This weekend, local pro-life advocates gathered outside the abortion center to alert women and the community to the problems there.

“If this was a restaurant, they’d close it down overnight,” said protestor Kathy Kuhns, who led the protests, according to the Allentown Morning Call. “Why not this supposed health care facility?”

Kuhns said state inspectors should have monitored the abortion business more closely because of its ties to embattled abortion practitioner and abortion business owner Steven Chase Brigham, who has had his medical license suspended in other states for killing and injuring women in botched abortions.

“With a history like [Brigham] has, it’s outrageous,” Kuhns told the newspaper.

Kay Mulligan of Bethlehem, who held a sign reading “Unacceptable Risk to Women at this Abortion Facility,” agreed and told the Morning Call, “Politicians give lip service to the rights of women to have safe abortions, but turn a deaf ear when it’s pointed out that some of these facilities do harm women.”

Troy Newman of Operation Rescue a pro-life group shining the light on the abortion center and Brigham, commented on the protests.

“The protesters came from all over Pennsylvania to protest at the clinic once owned by the notorious Steven Chase Brigham, who has such an appalling history of abortion abuses that he has been ordered not to have any involvement, direct or indirect, with any abortion business in that state. Brigham transferred control to Rose Health Services, which is a company purportedly owned by his mother. Brigham continues to solicit abortion business for the Allentown clinic through his American Medical Services web site,” he explained.

Video taken at the protest showed maintenance worker at the building where the abortion clinic operates thanking the protesters for exposing the dangers of the abortion clinic.

“Violations found during an inspection that took place on May 26, 2011, discovered out-of-date medicine, metal instruments with a brown material in the hinges and inside the supposedly sterile packaging, surgical instruments tossed in unsterilized drawers, and surgical instruments stored in a “musty” smelling suitcase in broken wrappers – all of which were considered by employees to be ready for use on patients,” Newman said. “Also discovered was a freezer where “Infectious Waste”, (the remains of aborted babies), was stored that was smeared with what an employee acknowledged was blood and contained a thick layer of frozen blood in the bottom. Dirty recovery room blankets and a dangerous lack of patient monitoring were also documented. No plan has been to correct these egregious violations has been filed, yet the abortion clinic continues to operate.”

“Kudos to Kathy Kuhns, who did a great job organizing this protest. We must keep up the public opposition and pressure on the Pennsylvania Department of Health until this dirty and dangerous abortion mill is closed for good,” he added.

The abortion facility operates under the name Allentown Medical Services but it has new owners. It changed hands after Brigham was prohibited from operating in Pennsylvania because of so many botched abortions and violations of health and safety laws for medical clinics. He gave up his Pennsylvania medical licensed because of problems in 1992 but was allowed to operate abortion centers administratively until the state finally clamped down on that practice.

The new information about AMS comes after a ruling by the Commonwealth Court last month that state health officials acted properly when they closed Allentown Medical Services down under Brigham. The newspaper indicates health department records show Rose Health Services Co., of Conshohocken now owns Allentown Medical Services, which failed a health inspection on May 26.

State officials said AMS “failed to maintain a safe and sanitary environment” and devices used in abortions had been sterilized but not wrapped to ensure they stayed that way. Several packages of surgical instruments “had an accumulation of brown debris in the hinge areas and brown staining on the inside of the packages” even though an AMS employee told officials they were sterilized and ready for use.

ACTION: Contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health to encourage them to shut this dangerous abortion business down at 1-800-254-5164 or [email protected].