Des Moines, Iowa, Jun 5, 2010 / 16:02 pm
A new remote-control abortion pill-dispensing system being used by Planned Parenthood in Iowa has come under fire from pro-life advocates who say the “telemed abortion” method kills unborn children, bypasses the doctor-patient relationship and risks the life and health of mothers.
“This is how far we have fallen. Drugs strong enough to kill and expel a baby are dispensed like aspirin,” commented Priests for Life President Fr. Frank Pavone in the National Catholic Register.
The remote system allows a Planned Parenthood physician from Des Moines to talk to each patient at another Planned Parenthood outlet by video conference, the Des Moines Register reports. The physician can then press a computer button to open a drawer in front of the patient to provide the abortion pills.
The physician, as many as 190 miles away from the patient, then remotely watches as she takes the first dose of the abortion drug.
Before the system is used, the prospective clinic patient who inquires about abortion is tested for pregnancy and given an ultrasound if pregnant. After counseling, patients are given information about the abortion pills and watch an eight-minute video about the drug and its possible side effects.