Savita Halappanavar's father calls for change to Ireland's abortion laws

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Agencies: London , Nov 18 2012, 18:21 IST

The father of a pregnant Indian woman who died after being refused an abortion in Ireland has asked the country's prime minister to change the abortion laws to prevent others meeting the fate of his daughter.

In a direct appeal to Prime Minister Enda Kenny, grieving Andanappa Yalagi said altering the legislation would "save the lives of so many women in the future".

Yalagi's daughter Savita Halappanavar, 31, was 17 weeks pregnant when she died at Galway University Hospital on October 28 after suffering a miscarriage and septicaemia.

Her husband Praveen alleged his wife, who was a dentist, pleaded with doctors to perform a medical termination.

Doctors are said to have denied her requests because the foetus's heartbeat was present - reportedly telling her: "This is a Catholic country."

According to Observer, Yalagi added his voice to a growing number of calls urging the Government to reform complex abortion laws.

Addressing Kenny, he said: "Sir, please change your law and take consideration of humanity.

"Please change the law on abortion, which will help to save the lives of so many women in the future."

Yalagi also called on the Indian government to take up the issue with their Irish counterparts.

"We want the government of India to put pressure on Ireland to change the law so that this cannot happen in the future," he said.

Yalagi also said that he and his wife are considering legal action against the hospital and that no health officials or anyone from the Irish government had been in touch with them to express any remorse.

"I want to take legal action against them over the inhumane way they treated my daughter," he said, adding "they are doctors but they were not humane.

"If they had been humane, they would have treated her.

"I do not want this to happen to other people. I am very angry."

The tragedy comes 20 years after a separate controversial abortion case split the country and two years since European judges called for clear direction on when a termination is legal.

The Galway-Roscommon University Hospitals Group and the Health Service Executive's national accident management team announced two separate probes into Halappanavar's death.

Chiefs at the hospital expect to finish its review within the next three months.

Meanwhile, a separate report from a 14-member expert group advising the Government on abortion - in the wake of the European Court of Human Rights ruling - landed on the health minister's desk last week.

Kenny said the Cabinet will examine the expert group's findings before a response is given to the court judgment on or before November 30.

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Reader's Comments (4)| Post a Comment

Live in Ireland

Ulick McGee | 18-Nov-2012Reply | Forward

To all concerned, the deceased lady in question choose to live in Ireland. She was not born there and was not an Irish citizen. If you choose to leave your own country and move to another then choose one that reflects your values and beliefs. To expect your "chosen" country to change it's values, beliefs and laws to appease you is an insult to the people and country of Ireland. What right has the father of the dead woman to encourage his country of India to put pressure on Ireland to change it's laws? Maybe he should relax and eat a nice juicy fat beefburger from his sacred cow. If you don't like anything about Ireland you should go back to India.

You sir are an idiot

Terje Bergesen | 19-Nov-2012Reply | Forward

Sorry, but there is no other way to describe you. The woman had already had a miscarriage at week 17. The child was dying. There was no possible way to save it. Problem is, while dying it was also killing mommy. The doctors chose to allow the baby to kill mommy because of laws based on a nut-case superstition. It is a massive breach of the Hippocratic oath, and borderline murder.

Is there a possibility of the doctors wrong diagnosis ?

BMP | 20-Nov-2012Reply | Forward

Is there a possibility that the Doctor could have wrongly diagnosed the state of the fetus? what if the child was already dead in the mother's womb?If that is the case shouldn't the reports etc be examined before jumping to the conclusion that the abortion law is wrong.If it is proved that the case is that of medical negligence and not the Law...then the doctor should be held accountable and not the law

Mr

John | 18-Nov-2012Reply | Forward

%u201CI see that the pseudo-liberal wolf pack is out in force. This is nothing more than an attempt at social and cultural genocide against the Irish People and it is time for the Irish Government, in so far as one exists, to start expelling diplomats and officials from those countries whose media and other agencies are fermenting hatred against Ireland. It is time for all true Irish patriots to stand up and be counted and kick out the fascists and eugenicists who are creating these problems. And just for the record, I am not referring to the Catholic Church. Blaming the Catholic Church has become the new method of covering up the failings of a morally bankrupt liberal agenda. One only has to look at the disgusting analogies they use equating an unborn human being with a parasite or a tumour. If that%u2019s what they think of the unborn, can you imagine what they think about the elderly and the handicapped? Ireland is one of the safest countries in the world in which to have a baby and always has been despite the torrent of lies and propaganda to the contrary. Our politicians in the Irish Parliamentary Party and our cowardly media (with one or two notable exceptions) have abandoned us to the wolves. We freed ourselves before with neither a Government or media to call our own, we can do it again.%u201D Mike Roe Eire Nua.