Parents of woman who died when Irish doctors refused to perform an abortion are meeting with the Indian government to demand justice
Parents of woman who died when Irish doctors refused to perform an abortion are meeting with the Indian government to demand justice
- Savita Halappanavar, 31, found to have miscarried when admitted to Galway University Hospital
- The dentist, who was 17 weeks pregnant, was refused a medical termination and died on October 28 of blood poisoning.
- Indian officials have promised parents Anadappa and Akka Mahadevi Yalgi all possible help
- Pro-choice campaigners are planning mass rallies in Ireland to legalize abortion
A tragic loss: Savita’s parents have placed a shrine to her in their home, in keeping with Hindu tradition
The parents of an Indian woman who died of blood poisoning after Irish doctors refused her an abortion have met with officials to demand justice for their daughter.
Savita Halappanavar, 31, was 17 weeks pregnant when she miscarried and died a week later of blood poisoning.
Her husband Praveen Halappanavar, 34, has told how he begged doctors at Galway University Hospital to terminate the pregnancy, but they refused because she was ‘in a Catholic country’ and the fetal heartbeat was still present.
The tragedy has sparked a soul-searching in the Republic of Ireland, where abortion is illegal, and anger in some quarters.
Campaigners are demanding a change in the law to allow abortion if the mother’s life is in danger.
Savita’s parents Anadappa Yalgi, 62, and his wife Akka Mahadevi Yalgi, 54, met with municipal officials late Friday afternoon at the family home in Belgaum, southwest India.
The grieving couple asked the Deputy Commissioner of Belgaum, Anbu Kumar, to secure all possible assistance from the Indian government.
Mr. Kumar said of the meeting, “I have visited the house and offered the assistance of our government where possible.”
Seeking justice: Belgaum deputy commissioner Anbu Kumar (left) promised Savita’s father Anadappa Yalgi all possible help
Paying Respect: The Deputy Commissioner paused for a moment of reflection in front of Savita’s Shrine
Savita’s mother, left, had asked her daughter to return to Belgaum to give birth, but Savita felt she would be safer in Ireland
A picture of Savita now hangs in the family home, covered with a wreath, as is customary in the Indian Hindu community after the death of a loved one.
Following comments from her parents, the Indian ambassador to Ireland said today that if she had been treated in India, Ms Halappanavar could still be alive today.
Destroy Chakravarti told RTÉ radio he hoped the Irish government would take steps to ensure the circumstances leading up to her death never recur.
Abortion is not illegal in India if the mother’s life is in danger, the ambassador noted.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s ambassador to India Feilim McLaughlin was officially summoned by the Delhi government on Friday to discuss an inquiry into Ms Halappanavar’s death.
Madhusudan Ganapathi, Secretary (West) of the Foreign Office, told the Irish envoy that he hoped the investigation into the tragedy would be independent.
He also conveyed the sadness felt by the people of India because “a young life had come to an untimely end.”
Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said of the tragedy: “Saving the life of the mother is of utmost importance, if you cannot save the life of the child.”
Devastated: Praveen Halappanavar (pictured with his wife Savita at their home in Galway) says he watched helplessly as she died of blood poisoning from a miscarriage after doctors refused to perform an abortion
Savita Halappanavar, 31, died at Galway University Hospital where doctors refused to perform a medical termination because she was ‘in a Catholic country’ and fetal heartbeat still present
Mr. Halappanavar, Savita’s husband, has described how he held her hand when she died.
He relived her last moments and said, ‘In the night, around one o’clock, the nurse came running, while I was standing outside the ICU.
“She just told me to be brave, and she took me to Savita, and she said, ‘Is it okay for you to be there, living her last minutes?
‘I said, ‘Yes, I do.’ I held her hand, they tried to pump her heart, there was a big team around. The doctor just told me they lost her.’
Mr. Halappanavar, who works as an engineer at Boston Scientific in Galway, came to Ireland from India with his wife four years ago to start a new life together. She had a job in Westport, Co Mayo and the couple lived in Galway city.
Public outcry: The tragedy has sparked a huge amount of self-examination in the Republic of Ireland, where campaigners are calling for a change in the law to allow abortions when the mother’s life is in danger
Happy couple: Savita and her husband Praveen dance at Diwali festival 2010 in Galway, video from YouTube
They were so excited about the anticipated birth of their first child, due on March 20, that they had an early baby shower in recent weeks when Ms. Halappanavar’s parents visited.
Pro-choice activists in Ireland have turned to social media networks to stage a massive protest against the country’s abortion laws on Saturday.
A rally in central Dublin is expected to draw several thousand protesters, following similar demonstrations in Belfast on Thursday night and in Derry on Friday.
.