Following a dismal September health inspection at the Planned Parenthood facility in Birmingham, an area faith group is demanding that the state permanently close the abortion center.
The call is being made by members of the Charismatic Episcopal Church, who told WBRC on Wednesday that the “alarming” health violations warrant immediate action.
“What we’re saying is this place does not care about women. They say they are about but they don’t care about women. They’re not safe. This is not a clean place,” Father Terry Gensemer said.
The 17-page state health report found a staggering number of deficiencies in the clinic’s practice. Among them was evidence that the clinic failed to have proper documentation of tuberculosis and hepatitis screening of its employees, which meant that patients could have been made vulnerable to the conditions. The document also noted that 2 of 2 physicians on staff failed to participate in annual reviews to ensure proper safety practices and medical competency. In more than one instance, clinic staff failed to properly clean surgical instruments used for abortions. Additionally, in 17 out of 22 surgical cases, Planned Parenthood failed to provide patients with their physician’s name and telephone number to contact in case of an emergency.
“How in the world can the abortion industry tell us that they’re doing safe, legal abortions when we don’t even know what age of gestation that they’re doing abortions [on]?” Gensemer later said to Lifesite News. “How do we know they’re not doing much more late-term abortions than they’re allowed to do by Alabama law?”‘
Addressing the church’s demand, the state health department told WBRC that Planned Parenthood has “submitted an acceptable plan of correction to address the deficiencies,” though they did not explain what changes were made.
State Republican lawmakers continue to push for pro-life legislation, as evidenced by the House GOP Caucus’s “Alabama Proud” agenda. Their plan includes separate measures to declare Alabama a “pro-life state” and protect medical practitioners from performing abortions against their will.
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