Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-683-6790 ext 111; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Vice President, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue,
info.operationrescue@gmail.com JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., July 6, 2016 /
Christian Newswire/ -- They used phrases like, "troubling discrepancies," "callous disregard," "greed or secrecy," "breach of trust," "lack of concern," "irresponsible in the extreme," and even "medical malpractice."
Such were descriptions of conduct highlighted by seven Missouri State Senators in a nine-page report that detailed results of a legislative investigation into Planned Parenthood's practices.
Led by Sen. Kurt Schaefer, the Sanctity of Life Committee's scathing assessment of Planned Parenthood and its lack of cooperation and transparency left unanswered whether or not aborted baby remains were illegally sold, but nevertheless revealed violations of the law related to the disposal of such remains.
The report revealed "stonewalling" by Planned Parenthood, the pathologist who examined the remains, and "top officials in Gov. Nixon's Department of Health and Senior Services" that forced the Committee to threaten to hold parties in contempt to obtain even minimal cooperation. The report was critical of investigation results released by the Attorney General that suspiciously omitted serious discrepancies to make it appear Planned Parenthood had engaged in no wrongdoing.
"The findings of the Sanctity of Life's Committee make it clear that Planned Parenthood, with the assistance of the Attorney General's office, Department of Health, and even the St. Louis Fire Department, is obscuring important facts from the committee and hiding the true extent of harm they are inflicting on women," said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. "The Committee has done outstanding work in bringing abuses at Planned Parenthood to light helping us understand that there is much more that is being hidden from the public."
The treatment of women, especially those undergoing abortion complications drew withering condemnation from the Committee, calling out Planned Parenthood's "willful disregard of women's health and safety."
Consent forms failed to inform women to call 911 in the event of an emergency after they left the Planned Parenthood facility. Planned Parenthood staff were directed to request that ambulances use "no sirens." This can delay care in critical situations where every moment counts.
Staff were instructed to give only very general information to 911 dispatchers, and never mention whether a complication is abortion-related. These instructions prevent full information about a patient's condition from reaching EMS responders and could delay emergency care.
"All of this indicated that Planned Parenthood is far more worried about their reputation, business model, and public relations efforts than they are about the women in their care," the report noted.
Operation Rescue sued the St. Louis Fire Department to obtain public information about medical emergencies at the Planned Parenthood abortion facility. Documents finally released by the SLFD show
58 serious medical emergencies. The most recent emergency - the
60th such incident since 2009 - took place at the St. Louis Planned Parenthood on July 2, 2016.
The senators recommend that further investigations are necessary to "determine whether Planned Parenthood has deliberately suppressed the true number of patient emergencies and medical errors involving its own staff."
Read Operation Rescue's full statement.
Read the Sanctity of Life Committee's Full ReportAbout Operation Rescue®
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation and has become a strong voice for the pro-life movement in America. Click here to support Operation Rescue. 
