Irish Hospital Refuses to Perform Abortion, Lets Woman Die
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.
Note the hospital’s reason for refusing this poor woman an abortion: a heartbeat was present.
This is exactly the kind of law the Republican Party is pushing in many states – to define human life as beginning when a heartbeat is audible.
It’s no exaggeration at all to say this is what the GOP wants for America. They’re working hard to make it happen, right now.
Related articles
- Woman Dies After Catholic Hospital Denies Abortion (patheos.com)
- ‘My wife can rest in peace if these laws are changed’ (independent.ie)
- So Much for the “Life of the Mother”: The Death of Savita Halappanavar (persephonemagazine.com)
- Woman Denied Abortion Dies in Agony at Hospital (jezebel.com)
- Savita Halappanavar’s medically unnecessary death | Jill Filipovic for Feministe (guardian.co.uk)
- Irish Hospital Lets Woman Die Because Her Life Wasn’t ‘Endangered’ Enough For Abortion (wonkette.com)