by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 16, 2009
Making sure a woman in a botched abortion situation had ready access to medical care an abortion practitioner can't provide at an abortion center is the main thrust of Senate Bill 89, which cleared the House on a bipartisan 73-20 vote.
"This bill is about patient safety," said Rep. Matthew Bell, a Republican. "I think it's the right statement to make when we care about the quality of care received by the patients."
Rep. Gail Riecken, a Democrats, claimed the bill was only about making it more difficult for women to get abortions.
Planned Parenthood of Indiana, which came under fire late last year for ignoring potential cases of sexual abuse of teenagers, also opposed the women's abortion safety bill.
There are nine abortion centers in Indiana located in five different counties. Testimony during the panel hearing indicated just one of the abortion practitioners operating in Indiana has hospital admitting privileges. Planned Parenthood worries that those who can't obtain access to admit patients to a local medical center in cases of botched abortions will have to close their abortion centers.
Sue Swayze, the legislative director for Indiana Right to Life, told the Indianapolis Star she is pleased the bill made it though the chamber.
"Abortion is a legal procedure, and what we are talking about is what happens afterward in the instance that there are complications," she said.
The Senate already approved the bill on a 44-6 vote in March and the measure now returns there for another vote to affirm the amendments to the bill added on the House side. Then, the measure goes to Gov. Mitch Daniels to sign or veto, though pro-life advocates expect him to sign it into law.
The bill requires abortion practitioners to have admitting privileges at a hospital in the county where the abortion is done or in an adjacent county.
The legislation came about because of problems in Fort Wayne, Indiana where local doctors had to take care of patients seen by abortion practitioner George Klopfer at the Fort Wayne Women’s Health Organization.
He also does abortions in South Bend and Gary and physicians have had to care for patients who have been injured by the abortions and required hospitalizations.
Sen. Patricia Miller, an Indianapolis Republican, is the sponsor of Senate Bill 89.
The bill comes after Vanderburgh County approved a local measure last year making sure abortion practitioners there have admitting privileges at local hospitals. Local officials said it is important in the ever-increasing cases of botched abortions where women need immediate medical care.
Under the new ordinance, any doctor doing abortions must disclose to patients the name of the hospital with which admitting privileges are maintained so as to facilitate better follow-up care in the event of post-abortion complications.
Indiana Right to Life president Mike Fichter told LifeNews.com, “Regardless of how you feel about the issue of abortion, everyone should applaud the Vanderburgh County Commission for taking this proactive step in making sure that proper safety requirements are in place if a woman experiences complications after an abortion."
Legislative attempts in 2007 and 2008 to enact statewide hospital admitting privileges requirements for doctors performing abortions were approved in the Indiana Senate with overwhelming numbers only to be defeated in the Indiana House by hostile committee assignments.
During the last legislative battle, Ft. Wayne obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Geoff Cly testified before lawmakers and recounted his experience treating women injured by abortion providers and underscored how more medical help is needed for women involved in botched abortions.
According to Americans United for Life, a national pro-life group that promotes state legislation, abortion practitioners in eleven states are required to maintain local hospital admitting privileges.
These states include Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah.
The Vanderburgh County ordinance is thought to be the first locally-passed ordinance addressing the issue.
Related web sites:
Indiana Right to Life - http://www.indianalife.org
Indiana Legislature - http://www.in.gov/legislative
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