The medical license of an abortion doctor who practiced near campus was temporarily suspended Tuesday after investigators came upon “deplorable and unsanitary” conditions in his clinic — including aborted fetuses in jars and bloodied floors, according to investigators’ reports.
The suspension occurred after federal agents from the Philadelphia Department of State’s Board of Medicine raided abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell’s clinic for the third time.
Gosnell’s office — the Women’s Medical Society, located at 38th Street and Lancaster Avenue — was initially raided based on suspicion of illegal prescription writing, as the clinic also provides pain-management services, according to the reports.
Gosnell has been named in at least 46 civil lawsuits, 10 of which were malpractice suits.
He has been sued for the deaths of two women — one in 2000 and one last November — who underwent abortions at his clinic.
Other claims against the doctor include hiring untrained physician’s assistants who performed gynecological exams and prescribed medication.
According to interviews of Gosnell’s former patients conducted by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Gosnell did not require patient identification or parental consent for minors. Gosnell’s clinic was known in the area for being where to go “if you were pregnant and didn’t want your mom and dad to know,” Malina Williams, who underwent an abortion performed by Gosnell, told the Inquirer.
Gosnell has been certified to practice as a doctor and surgeon in Philadelphia since 1967.
“It’s a shame that this happened, and Penn for Choice does not at all condone the actions of this doctor,” said Christopher Carroll, president of Penn for Choice and a freshman in the College.
Carroll stressed that Gosnell’s clinic is one of the only clinics in Philadelphia that has been shut down due to unsafe practices. Penn for Choice generally recommends that students seeking abortion go to Planned Parenthood because “larger clinics are generally more affordable,” he said.
Penn for Choice is an activist organization whose main goal is to make sure that “women obtain abortion safely and securely,” Carroll said. “We want to remind everyone that abortions are safe and legal in this country, and just because one doctor did something terrible doesn’t mean that he speaks for the entire medical community.”
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.