Woman dies in Ireland due to being denied a medical abortion.

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**Da Boss**

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/1114/1224326575203.html

Two investigations are under way into the death of a woman who was 17 weeks pregnant, at University Hospital Galway last month.

Savita Halappanavar (31), a dentist, presented with back pain at the hospital on October 21st, was found to be miscarrying, and died of septicaemia a week later.

Her husband, Praveen Halappanavar (34), an engineer at Boston Scientific in Galway, says she asked several times over a three-day period that the pregnancy be terminated. He says that, having been told she was miscarrying, and after one day in severe pain, Ms Halappanavar asked for a medical termination.

This was refused, he says, because the foetal heartbeat was still present and they were told, “this is a Catholic country”.

She spent a further 2½ days “in agony” until the foetal heartbeat stopped.

Intensive care

The dead foetus was removed and Savita was taken to the high dependency unit and then the intensive care unit, where she died of septicaemia on the 28th.

An autopsy carried out by Dr Grace Callagy two days later found she died of septicaemia “documented ante-mortem” and E.coli ESBL.

A hospital spokesman confirmed the Health Service Executive had begun an investigation while the hospital had also instigated an internal investigation. He said the hospital extended its sympathy to the family and friends of Ms Halappanavar but could not discuss the details of any individual case.

Speaking from Belgaum in the Karnataka region of southwest India, Mr Halappanavar said an internal examination was performed when she first presented.

“The doctor told us the cervix was fully dilated, amniotic fluid was leaking and unfortunately the baby wouldn’t survive.” The doctor, he says, said it should be over in a few hours. There followed three days, he says, of the foetal heartbeat being checked several times a day.

“Savita was really in agony. She was very upset, but she accepted she was losing the baby. When the consultant came on the ward rounds on Monday morning Savita asked if they could not save the baby could they induce to end the pregnancy. The consultant said, ‘As long as there is a foetal heartbeat we can’t do anything’.

“Again on Tuesday morning, the ward rounds and the same discussion. The consultant said it was the law, that this is a Catholic country. Savita [a Hindu] 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.

“The next morning I said she was so sick and asked again that they just end it, but they said they couldn’t.”

Critically ill

At lunchtime the foetal heart had stopped and Ms Halappanavar was brought to theatre to have the womb contents removed. “When she came out she was talking okay but she was very sick. That’s the last time I spoke to her.”

At 11 pm he got a call from the hospital. “They said they were shifting her to intensive care. Her heart and pulse were low, her temperature was high. She was sedated and critical but stable. She stayed stable on Friday but by 7pm on Saturday they said her heart, kidneys and liver weren’t functioning. She was critically ill. That night, we lost her.”

Mr Halappanavar took his wife’s body home on Thursday, November 1st, where she was cremated and laid to rest on November 3rd.

The hospital spokesman said that in general sudden hospital deaths were reported to the coroner. In the case of maternal deaths, a risk review of the case was carried out.

External experts were involved in this review and the family consulted on the terms of reference. They were also interviewed by the review team and given a copy of the report.

This is a fething disgrace. Much as it makes no difference, my deepest condolences to her poor husband.

20 years we've been waiting for those useless fethers in the Dáil to legislate for the constitutionally allowed termination of a pregnancy to save a mother's life. I guess they got away with the "safe road" of not angering the catholic lunatics that make part of their base, but time ran out and you can damn well bet they didn't pay for it.

God. I was down in the dumps yesterday about the financial situation at home. Then I clicked on this story, and now I'm just furious.

**thenoobbomb**

Is abortian illegal in Ireland?
Gods, thats pretty darn horrible.

**Da Boss**

Yes, abortion is illegal in ireland. Despite four referenda to make it legal, it's been voted down each time. We voted to make it legal to save the life of a mother, but our USELESS politicians have been waiting 20 years or thereabouts to actually put that into law. Yes, it is horrible.
Pass the message on to your friends. I hope Ireland suffers the full scrutiny and disdain of the world for this.

**thenoobbomb**

Thats just idiotic.
Abourtian illegal?

**Da Boss**

Catholic church, are you surprised?
Also, Ireland was pretty much a third world country until the 70s. The generation that have been legislating since then are from that background, where the church controlled everything. And there's still plenty of lunatics out there.

Too angry to post coherently, so I'll keep my lid shut for now. But go read about it.

**Frazzled**

potato soup is awesome.

**Da Boss**

Really not the time for irreverent humour here, Fraz.

**Frazzled**

Da Boss wrote:
Really not the time for irreverent humour here, Fraz.

I have a policy not comment on other countries' policies, thats a post to keep from interfering because I want to post.

Feth it. Ireland has the right to do what they want. Personally this is a sad sad situation.
German potato soup is still awesome.

**Lt. Coldfire**

She should have flown over here to the States. Abortion is somewhat of a pastime we have here in the States.

**Da Boss**

Or she could have been driven to Belfast, or flown to Great Britain.

Or we could have passed the damn law that was put forward over a decade ago.

**Squigsquasher**

This is disgusting. I hope the fethers hang for this. Bloody hell I Please do not declare hatred toward an entire religous sect. -Mannahnin

**Da Boss**

Hating catholics is of course the rational answer to this.
Edit: To clarify, I despise parts of the catholic hierarchy that propagate regressive and harmful policies, or that hide abusers and do not apologise. I disdain fundamentalists of all kids.

But would never say that I hate catholics. Most catholics I know are nowhere near the level of stupidity displayed by the hierarchy at times.

**Kilkrazy**

Just to remind everyone, blackguarding entire religious groups for attitudes held by some of their members is not the done thing.

**Squigsquasher**

Do not introduce reason or logic into this discussion. Off Topic is no such place for these things! Also I am now extremely angry, so logic and common decency are the last things on my mind.

**Frazzled**

Squigsquasher wrote:
Do not introduce reason or logic into this discussion. Off Topic is no such place for these things! Also I am now extremely angry, so logic and common decency are the last things on my mind.

The go away for awhile?

**Squigsquasher**

No!

Do not deny me my right to be angry and post obnoxious things in front of people I have never met!

Whining is the right of all sentient beings!

**Frazzled**

I thought that was spelunking. I'm so confused.

**Squigsquasher**

Frazzled, you have made my day. Thank you.

**Hanith**

The trouble with this is there is no plausible way to punish feth-tards like this without punishing innocent folk. All that can really be attempted is public humiliation of the Irish government.

I vote no less than 16 tons of eggs, an equivalent amount of toilet paper (by volume) and potatoes (again by volume). Just start throwing / dropping it via aircraft on any local Govt building / traditionalist Govt official.

AVOID, doing so to their family members, homes and friends as unless their opinion matters, they don't deserve said treatment.

**Peregrine**

Hanith wrote:
The trouble with this is there is no plausible way to punish feth-tards like this without punishing innocent folk.

How is it impossible? Throw the doctors in prison for negligence, strip the church of any benefits it receives from the government. It's quite easy to punish the guilty without hurting the innocent, the only question is whether anyone has the spine to do it.

**The Dark Apostle**

I am Irish and I agree with you all (except the anti-catholic bit)

**Chongara**

That's "Pro-life" for ya.

**Frazzled**

This is a law that was voted on right? Vote to change it.

**nels1031**

Are we 100% sure that having the abortion would have saved her?

The UK is having a problem with ESBL e.coli, which is more drug resistant then MRSA (staph infection) and causes blood poisoning. Both of which were listed in her autopsy. Would removing the fetus magically have cured the infection already present in the victim?

Or we can blame lunatic, regressive Catholics.

**Chongara**

NELS1031 wrote:
Are we 100% sure that having the abortion would have saved her?

The UK is having a problem with ESBL e.coli, which is more drug resistant then MRSA (staph infection) and causes blood poisoning. Both of which were listed in her autopsy. Would removing the fetus magically have cured the infection already present in the victim?

Yeah. I think that's what we should focus on. The chance she might have still died had the doctors helped her. I think that's more than enough to justify the fact they didn't lift a finger. In fact we should give them a medal for saving the life that fetus. Wait...

**Peregrine**

NELS1031 wrote:
Are we 100% sure that having the abortion would have saved her?

Who cares? Even if it's only a 1% chance that having the abortion would have saved her it's still absolutely clear that you allow the abortion since there's a 0% chance of the fetus surviving. Heartbeat or no heartbeat it was already dead, and a corpse can not take priority over even a slight chance of saving a person.

**Mr Hyena**

Would removing the fetus magically have cured the infection already present in the victim?

If its blood poisoning that killed her, I doubt removal of the baby would have helped...in fact it probably would have been worse, if they had to to surgically remove said baby.

Throw the doctors in prison for negligence, strip the church of any benefits it receives from the government.

Agreed on the first, the second is religious discrimination which is a form of tyranny.

**Peregrine**

Mr Hyena wrote:
Agreed on the first, the second is religious discrimination which is a form of tyranny.

Since when is "not giving special privileges to a religious organization" tyranny?

**kronk**

This is a sad story.

**Mr Hyena**

Peregrine wrote:
Mr Hyena wrote:
Agreed on the first, the second is religious discrimination which is a form of tyranny.

Since when is "not giving special privileges to a religious organization" tyranny?

You singled out one religion/special interest group.