Woman’s family sues the city over abortion clinic death

The family of a refugee who died after a botched abortion at a Philadelphia clinic have sued the city over her death.

The lawsuit alleges that the health department’s “policy of inaction” cost 41-year-old Karnamaya Mongar her life in 2009. A grand jury found that she died from an overdose of painkillers given by unlicensed workers.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell is charged with murder in her death and those of seven babies allegedly born alive.

Mongar’s family says the city health department had repeated warnings about horrific conditions at the clinic, but failed to act. Mongar, a Bhutanese refugee living in Virginia, was 19 weeks pregnant.

A city health department spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday. Courthouse News Service first reported on the lawsuit filed Friday.