June 1, 2020

Missouri Administrative Court Rules to Relicense St. Louis Planned Parenthood Despite Hospitalizations

Photo Credit: Paul Sableman / Flickr
A Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in St. Louis, Missouri has been in a long legal battle with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for several months. The department moved to have the clinic's license revoked after botched abortions resulted in the hospitalizations of pregnant women, but last week a court ruled to relicense the dangerous clinic.

Missouri Administrative Court Commissioner Sreenivasa Rao Dandamudi ruled in favor of the Planned Parenthood clinic, saying that the clinic's failures did not amount to the “substantial failure to comply” with Missouri regulations required to have its license revoked.

This decision may come as a surprise to Planned Parenthood as well, since its recent Fairview Heights, Illinois abortion clinic was constructed partially to take patients from across state lines, seemingly in preparation for the closure of the St. Louis facility.

Operation Rescue President Troy Newman pointed out that the St. Louis Planned Parenthood was responsible for over 70 hospitalizations, and further noted that the court decision blamed hospitalized women for the injuries they suffered at the hands of the facility.

“It is unbelievable that the Commissioner put the burden for proper care on the injured by fat-shaming one woman, and placing the blame on the other for having a condition that would have been diagnosed by a competent physician,” said Newman.

“Planned Parenthood has lost their license due to their incompetence, and for no other reason,” said Missouri Right to Life Executive Director Susan Klein. “The blame for the deficiencies and infractions at the Planned Parenthood abortion site in St. Louis can be laid specifically and only on those who operate that abortion facility. Women’s lives were put at risk and the law was broken at the St. Louis Planned Parenthood. No one and no healthcare facility is above the law.

Missouri Right to Life and Operation Rescue have called on the health department and Missouri's attorney general to appeal this decision and ensure that more women are not harmed at the St. Louis abortion mill.