Department of Health Confirms: No Plans to Reconsider 'Wild West' Abortion Deregulation After Gosnell, Sting Tapes

First it was the story of Dr. Kermit Gosnell's 'house of horrors' abortion mill splashed across newspapers and TVs across the country. Then Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest chain of abortion clinics, was caught in another series of undercover sting videos. Many Washington State residents assumed that their Health Department would automatically step up oversight plans of our state's abortion industry to make sure this type of thing was not happening in the Evergreen State.

But we were shocked to learn, after asking the Department of Health, that they plan absolutely no action or investigations in response.

Donn T. Moyer, spokesperson for the DOH, thought we'd be satisfied with an assurance that "we’re unaware of anything in our state remotely like the Pennsylvania case you cited."

"The Pennsylvania situation is a unique criminal case and there’s no evidence it’s happening here, so that case has not inspired any new review of the rules in Washington. We’re certain if complaints of that nature came to light in Washington, we would investigate thoroughly and take appropriate action."

She told us that the system in Washington is based entirely on responses to complaints. There are no pro-active systems of oversight, no licensing of abortion clinics with annual inspections, no unannounced or even pre-announced spot checks.

She said the blame in part goes to the Democrat-controlled government in Olympia. "The legislature has not granted authority to inspect the health care provider’s practices or businesses, including abortion clinics."

Ms. Moyer also assured us, several times over, that any complaints "are taken very seriously, investigated, and when appropriate, disciplinary action is taken."

She did not comment on whether or not the Department's long-standing and deep ties with Planned Parenthood would compromise the objectivity of any such investigations.

This is all awfully convenient for the abortion industry, considering that most women who get abortions are deeply ashamed of it, and want to put it behind them as quickly as possible, and forget about it. They don't want to file complaints, respond to requests for information, or even think about the abortionist again.

And how is a regular citizen, undergoing an emotionally traumatic experience like an abortion, possibly against her will, going to know the ins and outs of medical regulations, or notice whether instruments have been sterilized, or linens laundered properly, or fetal remains 'disposed of' properly?

She also said that the state is also is not even planning to revisit its decision last year to let the abortion industry "regulate itself" regarding the administration of anesthesia. Anesthesia is used in late-term abortions.

Part of the reason abortion clinics are not licensed or regulated, is that "Washington is set up to regulate the licenses of the people who provide health care services, such as doctors, nurses, dentists, and such." DOH does not license or regulate offices and clinics (except for hospitals, apparently). This was also confirmed by blogger Ramona Stumpf.

What makes this more galling is the fact that, as we have recently publicized, the abortion industry is right now pushing legislation through their Democrat minions in Olympia to regulate pro-life pregnancy centers, as clinics or facilities, when no such regulation or licensing exists for abortion mills.

And they kill people.

Moyer claimed that "patient safety is the highest priority in health care professions regulation, and we believe our system in Washington works." It's certainly working for the abortion industry.

But if you think patient safety is DOH's highest priority, you have to wonder if Cedar River Clinics has been investigated, after they sent a woman recently to the Emergency Room to have her uterus removed, after a late-term abortion gone wrong.

Has Planned Parenthood of Central Washington, run by Anna Franks, been reported and investigated after performing this abortion on a teenager, when the clinic staff, doctor, and nurses knew she was there against her will?

We hope anyone reading this who knows of violations of health care protocols by Planned Parenthood, Cedar River Clinics, Aurora Women's Services, All Women's Health North, or any other abortion clinic to contact DOH. The customer service phone number where people can make such complaints is 360-236-4700.

We especially encourage emergency room workers like the one who posted this comment to report what they see to the Dept. of Health at the above number:

I cannot begin to recount how many young women (and some older ones too) have come into my ER for suicidal ideation because they had an abortion. Don't anyone dare be so naive and stupid as to tell me that abortion is an easy and painless choice. None of the ladies I assessed were happy about the choice they made. They came with emotional damage, infections, hemorrhaging, and overwhelming self-loathing and anger.