A Florida abortionist has closed his doors permanently after a watchdog group accused him of endangering women who obtained abortions from...
A Florida abortionist has closed his doors permanently after a watchdog group accused him of endangering women who obtained abortions from him.
Abortionist Ali Azima closed his abortion clinic, Venice Women’s Health Center in Port Charlotte, for good on September 3 after women’s watchdog group Reprotection launched an investigation into his abortion practice.
Reprotection, a national group that works to shut down dangerous abortion providers, began its investigation into Azima after it received reports from eyewitnesses of a partially undressed woman running out of his clinic with blood still running down her legs.
Pro-life sidewalk counselors who were outside of the clinic at the time told Reprotection they learned that the woman had been in the midst of an abortion procedure when she left. The sidewalk counselors helped her obtain emergency medical care.
After this incident, Reprotection filed several complaints with the Florida government, including with the state health department’s Division of Medical Quality Assurance and Division of Health Quality Assurance, alleging that Azima was a grave threat to the health and safety of Florida women. The group also filed complaints with the state’s elected officials and the governor’s office.
The Florida health department ended up opening its own investigation, shortly after which Azima shut down his abortion clinic.
During its yearlong investigation, Reprotection found that Azima has an extensive history of medical negligence, including a previous medical license suspension. The group also found that the abortionist was running his clinic without an abortion facility license, saying abortions constituted less than 51% of his work, a claim that was contested by pro-life advocates who observed his clinic.
The investigation also found that Azima himself had been described as “out of it” and exhibited mental and physical impairments including uncontrollably shaking hands due to his advanced age. Other concerns included his failure to obtain patients’ medical histories and monitor key health factors before performing surgical abortions, performance of incomplete abortion surgeries, implanting of birth control devices in pregnant women resulting in the women having emergency abortions, and his failure to comply with required post-surgical practices to ensure the abortion was complete and the patient was emotionally and physically well.
“We are so glad that Ali Azima has retired and stopped harming women and killing children in Florida,” said Missy Stone, senior analyst at Reprotection. “With one more abortion business shut down, lives will be saved and women’s health will no longer be endangered. Reprotection will continue to investigate dangerous doctors and abortion businesses nationwide and hold them accountable.”
The Thomas More Society, a conservative law firm, assisted the watchdog group in bringing complaints against Azima.
“This highlights a question that must be answered: Why do so many governmental units avoid their duties to regulate abortion facilities?” asked Matt Heffron, Thomas More Society senior counsel. “If Azima had been in any other business, you can be assured there would have been swift action to protect the public. The fact that he was still in business after so many complaints and verified violations is astounding.”
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