Admin
... Read More
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy.
The inquest into Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar's death after being denied an abortion is all set to begin today. The inquest is not a court case and there will be no prosecution or defence. Her husband Praveen said that all he wanted was the truth. Savita Halappanavar was 17 weeks pregnant when admitted to University Hospital Galway on October 21 last year and died a week later from suspected septicaemia, days after she lost her baby.
Her husband maintains that the couple repeatedly asked for a termination of her pregnancy but were refused because the foetal heartbeat was present. Arriving for the first day of evidence, Mr Halappanavar said the last few days had been difficult as the couple's baby had been due on March 30 - the day he was handed a health service report into his wife's death.
'We have faith in the inquest, so hopefully we will get the answers,' he said. 'The big question is why was Savita treated the way she was not supposed to be? We just want to know why she died.'
The inquest is expected to last a week and medics who treated Mrs Halappanavar will be called to give evidence along with other experts. Mr Halappanavar has insisted that the abortion was denied to him on the grounds that Ireland is a 'Catholic country'. Catholics in many places, including the United States are deeply against abortion which they consider equivalent to murder.
The widower said: 'All I want is to get to the bottom of it, to the truth, so (I'm) looking forward to it.' More than 50 statements have been furnished by health chiefs and gardai for the coroner, Dr Ciaran MacLoughlin.
Mr Halappanavar was said to be unsatisified with the draft findings of the HSE's clinical review, which was handed to him on Good Friday. The report revealed that there was an overemphasis on the need to not intervene because of the foetal heartbeat and the staff failed to diagnose the life-threatening conditionin time. There was also some confusion between different medical teams when I came to interpreting Irish laws dealing with abortion.
It revealed there was an over-emphasis on the need not to intervene while there was a foetal heartbeat and that staff failed to recognise and diagnose the life-threatening infection in time.It also reportedly found confusion among medical teams on the interpretation of Irish law on abortion. The HSE has apologised over the treatment given to Mrs Halappanavar. More than 60 statements, including some from hospital staff, gardai, pathologists, a consultant obstetrician and a microbiologist had been taken, but not all would appear as witnesses.
'Savita died in tragic circumstances,' Dr MacLoughlin said. 'The family of Savita, in the presence of her husband, have suffered a very traumatic experience.' The coroner asked for sensitivity, time and understanding to be shown by everyone as if they themselves had been bereaved in similar circumstances. Mr Halappanavar is listed as the fourth witness to give evidence. As Mr Halappanavar prepared to give evidence, the coroner revealed that the widower had called him from India while attending his wife's funeral to ask him to investigate her death.