News

Thursday June 17, 2010


Reprimanded Canadian Doctor Told He May Only Perform Abortions

By Patrick B. Craine

OTTAWA, Ontario, June 17, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – An abortionist at Henry Morgentaler’s Ottawa abortuary has agreed to restrict his practice following allegations that he failed to maintain an adequate standard of care. But pro-life groups are up in arms over the fact that he has been forbidden from practicing everywhere except in abortion facilities.

“Obviously abortion is at the bottom rung of the medical profession when the lowest of the low are sent to operate these clinics,” said Alissa Golob, head of Campaign Life Coalition Youth. “This situation screams discrimination. Imagine the college saying, ‘oh you’re too incompetent to treat the general public, but go ahead and look after the blacks.’”

Dr. Krzysztof J. Fabisiak was scheduled to appear this morning before the disciplinary committee of the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons owing to allegations against him from 25 patients. His record, publicly available on the College website, says that he was accused of having “failed to maintain the standard of practice of the profession and is incompetent in his care and treatment of Patient ‘A’, Patient ‘B’ and 23 patients.”

But a spokesperson for the college told LifeSiteNews that the hearing was cancelled after Fabisiak agreed to restrict his practice and the allegations were withdrawn.

“I, Dr. Krzystof Janusz Fabisiak, will practice only at the prescribed family planning clinics in Ottawa or Toronto or at a setting approved by the College,” the restriction reads. It also notes he has “voluntarily relinquished” his prescribing privileges, except for Tylenol 2 and 3.

The College would not explain the nature of the complaints against the abortionist. “There’s very little information that is available when a matter is withdrawn,” said spokesperson Kathryn Clarke. She said the allegations were related to “standard of care,” but noted that this is a “broad term.” She would not give specifics about how Fabisiak was alleged to fail providing standard of care.

Neither did Clarke say if the complaints were related to Fabisiak’s work at the Morgentaler abortuary. However, the facility at 65 Bank Street is listed as his primary practice; no other practice is listed in his record.

Mark Crutcher, President of Life Dynamics Inc., said that the College’s actions prove the fact that “the wash-outs from the leftovers of medicine wind up working in these abortion clinics.”

“No one goes to medical school with the intent of working in a Planned Parenthood or some other abortion clinic,” said Crutcher, whose group has done extensive research on the abortion industry in North America. “[Abortionists] either were such bad doctors they couldn’t get a legitimate practice going, or they were such bad doctors that they had a practice going that they destroyed because of their malpractice.”

Commenting on the College’s refusal to release details on the allegations, Crutcher asked, “If a woman’s going to trust her life and her health to him, shouldn’t she have the right to know what his history is?”

Morgentaler’s abortion conglomerate began over 40 years ago before the legalization of abortion. It has not been a stranger to charges of negligence and incompetence over the years.

In 1976, the Professional Corporation of Physicians of Quebec suspended Morgentaler’s medical license for a year, stating that he had not performed the proper tests before conducting abortions and did not follow up with clients afterwards. The committee, in fact, concluded he had “an attitude which is primarily directed to protecting his fees.”

In 1974, the Montreal Gazette reported that Morgentaler was reusing $3.30 disposable vacurettes (used for vacuum abortions) to the horror of the manufacturer, who pointed out that they would spread disease.

In a 1998 case, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court found Morgentaler’s Halifax facility guilty of negligence in post-abortion care, and awarded the victim damages of $724,547.66.

In 2003, Morgentaler’s Ottawa abortuary was sued for over $185,000 after a botched abortion. Documents submitted to the court explained that the woman contacted the abortion centre a week after the abortion to complain of bleeding and cramping and was told that the symptoms were normal. Shortly thereafter she was admitted to an Ottawa hospital where they removed the placenta and the baby’s remains.

In 1993, a woman told the Edmonton Sun that she had almost died at Morgentaler’s facility in that city because of internal bleeding after the abortion.

REAL Women of Canada has reported in the past that Morgentaler has often paid large settlements in order to prevent complaints from going public.

“It appears that Morgentaler’s standard of care has not really been elevated over the years,” said Mary Ellen Douglas, national organizer of Campaign Life Coalition. “It appears he’s still running the same type of practice with the people he’s got working for him.”

“The irony is truly astounding,” said Golob. “Abortion is supposed to ‘help’ women, yet those committing these abortions are the most incompetent doctors around.”