Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline reveals appalling conditions at a Kansas City abortion mill — Including allegations of Cannibalism
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/local/8553710.htm
Kline alleges filth at abortion clinic
BY DION LEFLER
The Wichita Eagle
Posted on Fri, Apr. 30, 2004
TOPEKA – State Attorney General Phill Kline presented materials to legislators Thursday alleging that a Kansas City, Kan., abortion provider operated a dangerously substandard medical facility and even ate fetal tissue.
The allegations about the facilities came during a presentation to the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs.
“It’s a place where no woman, no person, should have to undergo a surgical procedure,” Kline said.
The allegation that the physician ate fetal tissue was included in written materials that Kline presented to the committee. The report came from a Kansas City police officer; the name of the witness he interviewed was blacked out in documents provided to legislators.
The report, prepared for Kline after officers conducted an investigation of an unrelated theft complaint at the clinic, said officers observed “filthy” conditions in some parts of the facility and blood stains on the floor.
The doctor named in the allegations is Krishna Rajanna, who operates the Affordable Medical and Surgical clinic.
He denied the allegations against him and his clinic, particularly that he consumed fetal tissue.
“That’s untrue and a totally, totally made-up story,” he said.
Rajanna said he thinks the attorney general was misled. The doctor said he thinks he is the victim of a political smear campaign staged by abortion opponents.
“They’ve been trying to reduce the number of abortions by doing various things,” he said.
Kline, an opponent of abortion, said he thinks conditions at the clinic should prompt both pro-life and pro-choice legislators to agree to pass a stalled bill that would establish strict regulations and inspection requirements for clinics that perform abortions.
He said abortions are an “invasive surgical procedure” and clinics that perform them should have to comply with rules that govern outpatient surgical centers.
At present, abortion clinics fall under rules that apply to doctors’ offices, which are largely unregulated.
On Thursday, Rajanna opened his clinic to a reporter from the Associated Press. The wire service said the facility appeared generally clean, but a back room was cluttered.
Kline said he thinks Rajanna had cleaned up the operation since the damaging photos were taken.
The allegations against Rajanna are under investigation by the Kansas Board of Healing Arts. The board can withdraw a physician’s license to practice.
Rep. Bill Mason, R-El Dorado, is chairman of the Committee on Federal and State Affairs. He said the report “is one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever read, if that’s true.”
He said he expects Kline’s presentation will spur tougher regulation of medical offices.
“We do have a real disconnect in the inspection (of abortion clinics) and, I guess, doctor’s clinics as well,” he said.
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