Anger as woman 'denied termination' dies in Galway hospital

Image: Wikimedia Commons

A number of protests and vigils are to be held across Ireland and Britain this evening following the death of woman who had suffered a miscarriage in a Galway hospital last month. 

Rallies have been organised outside Leinster House in Dublin and the Irish embassy in London, while candlelit vigils will take place outside the Opera House in Cork and Eyre Square in Galway.

31-year-old Savita Halappanaver presented with back pain at University Hospital Galway on 21 October and was found to be miscarrying.

Her husband told The Irish Times that Savita requested a termination 'several times' over the next three days, but this was refused because the foetal heartbeat was still present.

She spent the next few days 'in agony' until the heartbeat stopped.

Praveen Halappanaver also revealed that they were told 'this is a Catholic country'.

Savita was moved to a high dependency unit but died of septicemia a week later.

The front page of today's Irish Times

Two investigations into the death have been launched by the hospital and the Health Services Executive, the state body which oversees the health service in Ireland.

The news has provoked a strong reaction, with renewed calls for the Government to legislate for the 'X' case.

This was a watershed 1992 Supreme Court judgement which established the right of Irish women to an abortion if a pregnant woman's life was at risk because of pregnancy.

Sinead Ahern of Choice Ireland, one of the groups organising this evening's march in Dublin, told WorldIrish that they are calling on the Government to act now:

This is not an issue about TDs' views on abortion, it is simply an issue of giving effect to existing constitutional rights and respecting the result of two referenda in which the Irish people rejected rolling back on the X case.

I think it's time to show your outrage, to get out, to march and let the politicians know and let the Government know that this is not good enough. 

Every day that they fail to legislate is another day that women's rights are being violated and that the Irish people are standing up and saying 'no, this is not acceptable'

The rally, which is also supported by People Before Profit and the United Left Alliance, will take place on Kildare Street.