The New Mexico Alliance for Life has filed a lawsuit, through its attorney, against the UNM Health Sciences Center for withholding documents in regards to using fetal tissue for research.
Elisa Martinez, executive director of New Mexico Alliance for Life, said that the organization requested documents from UNMHSC in accordance with the state’s open records laws. The documents requested involved biohazard compliance and approval processes for research on human subjects.
NMAFL is an advocacy organization, she said, that is focused on changing laws by empowering women with better choices when facing unplanned or difficult pregnancies, in addition to advocating for better protection for women and unborn children from the abortion industry.
Martinez said the specific documents stemmed from a study using the extracted eyeballs of aborted babies up to 24 weeks entitled, “VEGF mRNA and Protein Concentrations in the Developing Human Eye.”
The documents were directly referenced in the Aborted Human Eye Study conducted by Robin Ohls with UNM’s Department of Pediatrics, she said.
“To date, HSC has not been forthcoming with this information, although the actual study cites the documents.”
UNM policy and federal regulations require UNMHSC to maintain these documents for all human research studies, Martinez said.
“The inspection of records request provides public oversight into UNM’s practices of fetal tissue procurement and partnerships with the late-term abortion industry which is currently shrouded in secrecy,” she said. “Additionally, it is unclear as to whether or not women are being properly informed regarding the donation of their aborted babies’ body for research.”
Billy Sparks, executive director for HSC Communications and Marketing, said UNMHSC has received several IPRA requests in the past several months from this particular organization.
“It is always our intention to respond, completely and in a timely manner, to all IPRA requests,” he said.
Meanwhile, on Feb. 16, a U.S. House investigative panel formally issued subpoenas to UNM and Southwestern Women’s Options in Albuquerque in reference to the harvesting and subsequent transfer of fetal parts for medical research.
The investigation is headed by the Congressional Select Investigative Panel on Infants Lives, led by Rep. Marsha Blackburn.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
“We have been working diligently to acquire information that is needed to get the facts about the medical practices of abortion service providers and the business practices of the procurement organizations who sell baby body parts,” Blackburn said in a prepared statement. “While it was our hope that these organizations would voluntarily work with us in this effort, some have refused to cooperate by withholding information that is critical to providing us with answers to questions the American people are asking. Consequently, if forced to do so, we will issue subpoenas to any organization that refuses to fully cooperate with our investigation.”
HSC received a letter signed by Chairman Blackburn on Jan. 6 and the initial letter included 19 individual areas, each encompassing a wide range of issues and documents related to our life-saving research, Sparks said.
HSC submitted an initial response on Jan. 29, as per an agreement with Panel staff, he said. HSC was granted an extension to respond with further documents by Feb. 15 by Special Counsel to the Committee, Frank Scaturro
Sparks said the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center is, has been and will continue to cooperate voluntarily with the United States House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives.
“This critical research has already resulted in dramatic improvements in the health of extremely premature babies, including reducing brain damage and blindness,” he said. “Discoveries that have led to extremely premature babies now having a greater chance of survival and an improved quality of life at younger and younger ages.”
He said HSC is disappointed that the majority would issue a precipitous press release, prior to the Feb. 15 deadline, stating that the HSC is not cooperating and is unwilling to submit the documents requested.
“The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center respects both the Committee and the United States House of Representatives,” he said. “We remain committed to our mission to save lives, reduce suffering and to provide the best quality of care for our patients.”
Sparks said it is a goal of UNMHSC to establish and maintain comity between themselves and the committee in the highest traditions of the United States Congress.
“Once the records are turned over it will give the general public a better view of these practices and procedures and give them the ability to question if New Mexico citizens want their tax dollars funding government agencies involved in these practices,” Martinez said.
Matthew Reisen is the news editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @dailylobo.
