Woman Denied Medically Necessary Abortion, Dies

[wub]

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/11/14 ... tion-dies/

‘This Is A Catholic Country’: Woman Denied Medically Necessary Abortion, Dies



Savita Halappanavar, 31, was 17 weeks pregnant when she began to experience severe back pain. She was admitted to University Hospital Galway where she was told she was miscarrying. According to her husband, Praveen Halappanavar (via The Irish Times):

“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.

But the next day, nothing had changed and Savita was now experiencing excruciating pain. When she asked for the failed pregnancy to be terminated, she was refused on the grounds that the fetus’ heartbeat was still detectable and, as a Catholic country, nothing could be done. Two days later, the heartbeat finally stopped and the hospital performed the procedure but it was too late. Savita died of septicaemia (blood poisoning) four days later on October 28.

[LACE]

yeah, i read about this yesterday. =/

those medical professionals got blood on their hands. if only this was an isolated case

[NickUndercover]

Another victory for the pro-life movement....


Jokes aside, if it happened like told in the article (never entirely trust that kind of stuff), terrible story. Hope the husband is going to sue the fuck out of the hospital and go straight to Strasbourg if he doesn't get cause

[garethom]

Another victory for the pro-life movement....


Jokes aside, if it happened like told in the article (never entirely trust that kind of stuff), terrible story. Hope the husband is going to sue the fuck out of the hospital and go straight to Strasbourg if he doesn't get cause

Yeah, I'm sure the first few versions I read of this suggested that the pregnant woman turned down an abortion.

If the doctors did deny her one because of their own beliefs, then that's fucked up.

[faultier]

If the doctors did deny her one because of their own beliefs, then that's fucked up.

my understanding is that abortion is simply illegal after x months pregnancy in ireland... still thats fucked up

[garethom]

If the doctors did deny her one because of their own beliefs, then that's fucked up.

my understanding is that abortion is simply illegal after x months pregnancy in ireland... still thats fucked up

I dunno, I'm solidly pro-choice, but depending on what x months actually is, it might be fair.

[faultier]

cant find clear info except:

"Abortion in the Republic of Ireland is illegal unless it occurs as the result of a medical intervention performed to save the life of the mother."
and "The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right."

both statements kinda contradict each other

[Sonika]

this is fucked up
it's the woman's fucking life in danger - oh yeah, the fetus is going to die anyways, but we're not going to abort it, so now it AND the mother can die! good thinking!

[Laszlo]

If it's God's will then so be it, ay!

From the country that brought you The Magdalene Sisters. Your time

[scspkr99]

That's not quite as it's supposed to be but effectively how it happened. The issue is that abortion is only allowed in cases where continuing with the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother as opposed to the health of the mother. It was for this reason as it was believed the proceeding with a doomed pregnancy would not be fatal and thus they couldn't abort while the fetus had a heart beat.

It's scandalous.

The right of the unborn child was enshrined in a constitutonal amendment in 1982. 10 years later a girl X wanted to travel to the UK for an abortion having been the victim of a statutory rape. She claimed she was suicidal and the court found that suicide was sufficient enough cause to allow the travel to the UK. For 20 years various governments have failed to take on backwards rural catholic Ireland. Only last weekend there were campaigns against a consitutional amendment to provide children with certain rights as it was seen to undermine the parents. We seem to want to protect the kids before they are born then not give a fuck until they have kids of their own.

[NickUndercover]

cant find clear info except:

"Abortion in the Republic of Ireland is illegal unless it occurs as the result of a medical intervention performed to save the life of the mother."
and "The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right."

both statements kinda contradict each other

My understanding is they knew the fetus wasn't viable when she asked for the abortion, therefore don't meet all the conditions mentionned in the text and should have gone with it. That's up to the precise facts, the judges and how they read/interpret their laws though.

[sixs]

We seem to want to protect the kids before they are born then not give a fuck until they have kids of their own.

this whole tragic event has also unfortunately shown that the pro-choice crowd over here is almost as backwards and ill informed as the pro-life/youth defense it actively hates. disheartening to say the least.

[fractal]

terrible story

this is what happens when religion controls law

[nowaysj]

Can't recall from this story, were they vacationing in Ireland?

[Charco]

Can't recall from this story, were they vacationing in Ireland?

No they live in Galway.

This has caused a lot of outcry over here in the last few days. There have been protests, calls for independent inquiries (rightly so imo), etc.

From what I understand, reading in the Irish Times, is that Mrs. Halappanavar was told that she was miscarrying:

“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.

How then, she could be left for a day, let alone three, in such pain, is beyond me. Successive governments here have avoided and dodged this issue for far too long. It's time for Labour and FG to get their arses in gear and legislate for such eventualities.

Irish Times article

[Laszlo]

The government said it had received long-delayed recommendations from an expert panel on introducing new rules on abortion, and would report before the end of the month.

Four out of five Irish voters support a change in the law to permit abortion in cases where a mother's life is at risk, according to a recent opinion poll.

But a vocal anti-abortion minority has dominated the debate on abortion in Ireland in the past, with campaigners arguing that the adoption of legislation or guidelines for medical terminations would bring in abortion through the back door.

Source

[pandabear]

I didn't want to read this today. If this truly happened like what the article said, that's unfortunate.

[Sexual_Chocolate]

I didn't want to read this today. If this truly happened like what the article said, that's unfortunate.

neither. this is more upsetting than anything else.

out to the husband who's lost both a child & his wife.

[Sonika]

^Yeah good point, the husband must be devastated too

Fucking A