"Inspections of N.J. licensed abortion clinics are rare" reported New Jersey's Press of Atlantic City in something equally rare -- an investigative news report on abortion facilities.
"Health officials inspected only one of the state's six licensed abortion clinics in the past two years -- despite a requirement that they be investigated every other year -- before complaints eventually brought inspectors to two of the clinic," Press reporter Michael Clark wrote.
As Clark reports, and I've written on "Mother May I ... Be Born?" here and here, these inspections led to the closings of the Metropolitan Medical Associates clinic in Englewood and the Alternatives clinic in Atlantic City.
Rasheedah Dinkins, 20, went into a coma and nearly died after her abortion at Metropolitan Medical Associates. When Metropolitan was shut down by New Jersey's Health Department, an employee told telephone callers (including me) that the clinic was closed for renovations.
"Inspectors found dried blood under the leg pads on procedure tables at Atlantic City's Alternatives in June and forceps encrusted in 'brownish blood-like residues' at Metropolitan Medical Associates in February," according to the Press. "'Abortions aren't really surgery, they aren't sterile procedures,' an Alternatives employee told inspectors after being questioned about infection control."
As for other New Jersey clinics, Planned Parenthood of Central New Jersey in Shrewsbury has gone the longest without inspection, the Press reports. This PP was last inspected on January 4, 2000.
Bravo to the Press of Atlantic City for bold reporting.
This newspaper's storyon New Jersey abortion clinic inspections is well worth the read. It will make you wonder about the conditions behind the closed doors of the abortion clinics in your state.
(c) 2007 Marybeth T. Hagan
