A nationwide vigil against abortion is claiming a victory in Columbia, MO, but administrators at a local clinic say that a temporary hiatus in providing surgical abortions is the result of a staffing shortage and not because of a prayer group. A spokeswoman said the clinic has one physician who does surgical procedures and administers the abortion pill. The physician has not left the clinic, but a temporary shortage of other staff, such as nurses, has meant that for the past two to three weeks, the clinic could not offer surgical abortions. Nurses and other staff are required to be present during and after a surgical abortion. New employees are expected to be hired in about a week.
The abortion pill can be given to women during the first nine weeks of pregnancy. A surgical abortion is offered up to 13 weeks after conception at the Columbia clinic, according to the Planned Parenthood Web site. The vast majority of women visiting the clinic are there before the ninth week of pregnancy, meaning a surgical abortion is not necessary.
A pro-life activist said she made three separate calls posing as a woman seeking information about a surgical abortion in Columbia. Each time, she said, she was told the same thing by an operator: that “the doctor in Columbia has recently resigned.” Columbia Daily Tribune
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