Michigan Officials Require Abortion Clinics To Retrain Staffs On Medical Waste Disposal Procedures

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 28 Mar 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has asked six abortion clinics in central Michigan operated by Alberto Hodari to retrain their staffs on handling biomedical waste following an investigation of one of the clinic's dumpsters, the Detroit News reports.

In a letter sent to the WomanCare clinic in Lathrup Village, Mich., on Tuesday, the department laid out three medical waste disposal violations that were found by police and state officials during a March 10 examination of dumpsters outside the facility. According to the letter, state officials searched the clinic and found waste that was improperly discarded and separated, placed inside unlabeled containers and incorrectly combined with other waste. Andrew Shannon, a state environmental quality analyst, in the letter wrote, "It was observed by the Medical Waste Regulatory Program staff during the inspection that black trash bags were being used for all medical waste generated at the facility prior to the transfer to the red medical waste storage bags and bins downstairs." He also wrote that "this may have ultimately led to the improper disposal, as new cleaning staff reportedly confused it with general solid waste and deposited [it] in the dumpster."

Officials did not fine Hodari for the violations. He said the mistakes were made by a new employee. He said that he had not received the letter but had already complied with the requests, adding, "The retraining was done already." According to the News, the investigation was prompted by allegations from abortion rights opponents. Monica Miller, director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, said, "I don't understand how someone can throw away the remains of aborted babies and all kinds of despicable biomedical waste and all he is getting (is this)? They are giving him a pass."

Officials plan a follow-up inspection for April 3, and the clinic must provide records of employee training by April 18. The state will then decide its next steps, Bob McCann, spokesperson for the department, said (Kozlowski, Detroit News, 3/26).

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