Women dies after being refused abortion

ZosoZoso Posts: 6,425
edited November 2012 in A Moving Train
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-20325659

An investigation has been launched into the death of a woman who was refused an abortion at a hospital in Galway.

Savita Halappanavar suffered a miscarriage and died of blood poisoning. Her husband says she would still be alive if she had been allowed the procedure. Abortion is illegal in the Republic of Ireland except where there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... rtion.html

Savita Halappanavar, 31, was 17 weeks pregnant when she developed back pain and tests revealed that she would lose her baby.

But despite her repeated pleas over three days, doctors refused to perform a termination as they could still hear the foetus’s heartbeat, reportedly telling her: "This is a Catholic country."

Mrs Halappanavar’s condition rapidly deteriorated and she died after developing septicaemia four days after the death of her baby.

The case has prompted renewed calls for the Irish government to legislate for abortion, with pro-choice campaigners branding her death “an outrage”.

James Reilly, Ireland’s health minister, sought a report on the circumstances surrounding the tragedy and Galway University Hospital prepared to launch its own investigation.

Mrs Halappanavar’s husband, Praveen, expressed astonishment that his Hindu wife, a dentist, died.

“It’s very hard,” he told the Irish Times. “It has been a terrible few weeks, very hard to understand how this can happen in the 21st century, very hard to explain to her family.”

The couple, who moved to Ireland from India in 2008, had been over the moon when they discovered they were expecting a baby, he disclosed.

Mr Halappanavar, 34, said everything had been fine until his wife developed back pain on Saturday October 20.

They went to the hospital the following morning but after a series of tests, were told nothing was wrong and sent home again.

However, they returned to the hospital just half an hour later after Mrs Halappanavar became increasingly concerned.

Her husband, an engineer employed by Boston Scientific in Galway, said that they were once again told there was no cause for concern but demanded to see a doctor.

A further examination revealed that the cervix was fully dilated and there was no way the baby would survive.

Mr Halappanavar said his wife repeatedly asked for a medical termination but was told it was impossible as long as there was a foetal heartbeat.

“Savita was really in agony,” he said.

“She was very upset, but she accepted she was losing the baby. The consultant said it was the law, that this is a Catholic country. Savita said: ‘I am neither Irish nor Catholic’ but they said there was nothing they could do.

“That evening she developed shakes and shivering and she was vomiting. She went to use the toilet and she collapsed. There were big alarms and a doctor took bloods and started her on antibiotics.”

Eventually, on the Wednesday lunchtime, the foetal heartbeat stopped and Mrs Halappanavar was taken into theatre.

When she regained consciousness, she spoke briefly to her husband for the last time.

That night, she was rushed to intensive care but her heart, liver and kidneys stopped functioning and she died in the early hours of Sunday October 28.

Mr Halappanavar said yesterday that he had decided to speak out about the case to try to prevent it happening again.

In 1992, Ireland’s Supreme Court ruled that abortion should be allowed if the mother’s life was in danger but the law has never been changed, forcing thousands of women to travel abroad for terminations every year.

Enda Kenny, the Taoiseach, came under renewed pressure to legislate for abortion yesterday but said he would await the results of reviews into Mrs Halappanavar’s death by the hospital and by the Health Service Executive.

Rachel Donnelly, a spokeswoman for the Galway Pro-Choice campaign group, said the case highlighted the need for legal change.

"This was an obstetric emergency which should have been dealt with in a routine manner,” she said. “Yet Irish doctors are restrained from making obvious medical decisions by a fear of potentially severe consequences.”

Mrs Halappanavar has since been cremated in her native India.
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Comments

  • groovemegrooveme Posts: 353
    This is really sad. I'm so glad that I don't live in Ireland.

    I hope that idiot republican running for Congress (forget which one) who said that women don't ever die from pregnancy any more reads about this. If the social conservatives in the US get their way, this could happen here, too
  • I can't even bring myself to make a Joe Walsh joke.

    I will point out that Joe Walsh said we don't need a "life of the mother" clause because "science keeps that from happening."

    I just can't imagine having to writhe in pain for hours while begging for help and knowing that you're dying... Because of a law forced by a nazi collaborator and pedophile apologist who lives in Vatican City.

    The world is truly fucked.
  • hedonisthedonist standing on the edge of forever Posts: 24,524
    The world is not fucked - truly or otherwise...though I'll concede that some, if not many, parts of it are.

    As for that poor woman, it's inconceivable to me that this could happen in 2012. Since when does - or should - religion trump common sense and compassion?

    As for this happening here, there is no way Roe v Wade will ever be overturned, no matter who is in office.
  • ZosoZoso Posts: 6,425
    I can't even bring myself to make a Joe Walsh joke.

    I will point out that Joe Walsh said we don't need a "life of the mother" clause because "science keeps that from happening."

    I just can't imagine having to writhe in pain for hours while begging for help and knowing that you're dying... Because of a law forced by a nazi collaborator and pedophile apologist who lives in Vatican City.

    The world is truly fucked.

    I knew one of those assholes said that but couldn't remember who.. it's really sad that people are so ignorant. Glad that asshole lost.
    I'm just flying around the other side of the world to say I love you

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    I love you forever and forever :)

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  • read about this. so sad.
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  • josevolutionjosevolution Posts: 28,258
    That is so sad , just to think about the husband actually watching hi's wife die is horrible ...
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  • pandorapandora Posts: 21,855
    This very sad.

    I was unaware abortion is illegal in Ireland. Women must travel to have them.
  • morellomorello Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 6,210
    edited November 2012
    I read about this in the newspaper earlier in the week & bloody hell it is just so dreadful! So because they don't allow abortion 2 human lives end! That is so screwed! Please let this poor woman not have died in vain & may things change in regards Ireland's laws & people's beliefs & attitudes.
    Post edited by morello on
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  • ZosoZoso Posts: 6,425
    pandora wrote:
    This very sad.

    I was unaware abortion is illegal in Ireland. Women must travel to have them.

    yes to England
    I'm just flying around the other side of the world to say I love you

    Sha la la la i'm in love with a jersey girl

    I love you forever and forever :)

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  • The Irish and their ass backward religion. Oh how relgion helps this world.

    The poison from the poison stream caught up to you ELEVEN years ago and you floated out of here. Sept. 14, 08

  • __ Posts: 6,651
    I can't even bring myself to make a Joe Walsh joke.

    I will point out that Joe Walsh said we don't need a "life of the mother" clause because "science keeps that from happening."

    Someone should point out to him that one of the ways science is able to keep that from happening is through abortion.

    I hope this makes people realize that (1) abortion really is medically necessary sometimes, and (2) there are a wide variety of reasons why women terminate their pregnancies - even wanted & intended pregnancies.
  • __ Posts: 6,651
    Zoso wrote:
    pandora wrote:
    This very sad.

    I was unaware abortion is illegal in Ireland. Women must travel to have them.

    yes to England

    I read recently that 12 women/day travel from Ireland to England for abortions.
  • redrockredrock Posts: 18,341
    Zoso wrote:
    pandora wrote:
    This very sad.

    I was unaware abortion is illegal in Ireland. Women must travel to have them.

    yes to England


    Though, it would seem that this woman's death was not necessary. It seems it was more about hospital 'protocol' than the law as 'inducing labour' is legal when a mother's life is at risk. So basically, the law will allow abortions if mother's life is endangered.

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timst ... -straight/
  • KathiKathi Posts: 1,828
    sickening. I wasn't aware that there was a country with even more backwards abortion laws than Italy. thank you, catholicism.
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,762
    I am against abortions in all circumstances....but I feel doctors should do the most they can to save the most life they can. There's no sense in letting both mother and child die.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
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  • catefrancescatefrances Posts: 29,003
    if the cervix was fully dilated why not deliver the foetus... if it dies it dies but dont stand there and watch the mother die along with the foetus. ludicrous.
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  • satansbedsatansbed Posts: 2,138
    in the 80's the pro life lobby, which where very powerful at the time, forced the government to hold a Pro Life referendum in order to prevent a decision like roe vs wade being brought in ireland under right to privacy, it was meant to ban abortion in every circumstance, then in 1992 the Supreme court found said that the wording of the constitution meant that that when there is a substantial risk to a woman's life including the risk of suicide abortion is constitutional. however successive governments have failed to pass legislation to define where a substantial risk begins, and so doctors are in a legal quagmire in that they have no guidelines to outlining when they are providing a legal abortion, and when they could be arrested for providing an abortion, legislation will be forthcoming in the not two distant future though, even if it wasn't for Satvia tragically and shamefully dying the government at the beginning of this year did institute an expert review group that are meant report back to the government next tuesday with their recommendations for legislation.

    even though i wasn't alive when they passed the pro life amendment, i am deeply ashamed of my country right now :oops: :cry:
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