“Abortion clinics in Virginia are ‘beautiful, immaculate, clean facilities” declared NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia Executive Director Tarina Keene in a January 17, 2013, interview, with HuffPost Live.
I believe you would disagree with that assessment. We need you in Richmond on December 4, as the Virginia Board of Health will once again be addressing clinic regulations. Perhaps Ms. Keene was being led through the facilities blindfolded; how else could she ignore the unsanitary conditions, the blood splattered doorways, bloody surgical scrubs, untrained assistants or unlicensed abortionists?
In 2012 well over 300 health and safety standard infractions were found to exist in the 20 abortion facilities in Virginia when the Virginia Department of Health did its inspection; not one of the abortion clinics passed inspection. A short list of some of the deficiencies included: failure to conduct criminal background checks on employees including abortionists, failure to observe infection protocols, recovery recliners not disinfected between patients, expired drugs, dried blood, torn surface and tape on abortion tables, reuse of sponges used to clean dirty surgical equipment and no way to sterilize them, improper drug storage and handling, failure to provide discharge orders, improperly maintained equipment including suction machine, untrained employees in infection control protocols, failure to document drug use, lack of emergency supplies such as tubing for IV’s and oxygen, and inadequate cleaning of abortion tables between patients. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, these infractions are a serious health menace to all women seeking abortions.
In February of 2011, the General Assembly of Virginia passed a law establishing regulations to cover minimum standards for certain health facilities including abortion centers; it was signed by then Gov. McDonnell in March and sent to the Virginia Board of Health who had 280 days from July 1, 2011 (the day of enactment) to write the policies. (At that time, the Board was dominated by appointees of former Gov. Tim Kaine.) In September 2011, the Virginia Board of Health approved temporary abortion clinic regulations by a 12 – 1 vote. In April, 2013, the Board voted 11 -2 on final rules.
Since his January 2014 inauguration, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a radical pro-abortion advocate, has vowed to repeal Virginia’s abortion clinic standards, and newly-appointed Health Commissioner Levine has already received ten abortion facility applications for variances to the state’s abortion facility requirements. In addition, AG Mark Herring has advised Health Commissioner Levine that abortion facilities don’t have to report suspected sexual abuse to child welfare or law enforcement officials when girls as young as 13 are brought to the clinics to receive abortions.
Save the date, Thursday, December 4, we need your presence is Richmond. More details will follow.