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special to the sunday tribune
  Savita’s husband to seek redress in European courts
shyam bhatia in london

The grieving husband of the NRI dentist who died at an Irish hospital after she was denied an early abortion is planning legal action against the hospital through the European courts of justice.

Engineer Praveen Halappanavar from Karnataka says University Hospital in Galway, Ireland, breached his wife Savita's right to life and has lashed out at the "horrendous, barbaric and in human" way that she was treated.

Following an inquest jury's ruling that Savita's death was caused by medical misadventure, Halappanavar said: "Medicine is all about preventing the natural history of the disease and improving the patient's life and health and look what they did. She was just left there to die.

"We were always kept in the dark. If Savita would have known her life was at risk she would have jumped off the bed, straight to a different hospital. But we were never told. "Its horrendous, barbaric and inhuman the way Savita was treated in that hospital."

Critics of deeply conservative and Catholic Irish society have queried the strict rules about when abortions are permissible, even though the mother's life might be at risk.

In 31-year-old Savita's case, she was 17-week pregnant when she was admitted to hospital last October with an inevitable miscarriage. At that time, when her request for a termination was ignored, hospital doctors claim that there was no immediate threat to her life and under Irish law an abortion could not be permitted because the foetus' heart was still beating.

In most other countries such a termination request would be a routine issue with the mother's wishes deemed paramount. But at the inquest hearing an expert witness explained that Savita's request for an abortion was not a "practical proposition because of the law."

Dr Peter Boylan told how Savita became seriously ill shortly afterwards, succumbing a few days later to septic shock, multiple organ failure and cardiac arrest.

An earlier diagnosis of Savita's deteriorating condition, backed up by checks of her pulse rate and further blood tests, could have made all the difference to her treatment, paving the way for emergency medical intervention and the saving of her life.

Last week coroner Ciaran MacLoughlin put forward nine recommendations to prevent a repeat of the circumstances that led to Savita's tragic death. Those nine recommendations include asking the Irish Medical Council to explain when doctors are allowed to intervene in a pregnancy to save a mother's life as this will "remove doubt or fear from the doctor and also reassure the public."

The coroner's observations came after seven days of evidence when the jury heard how Savita's life could have been saved if the law had allowe an abortion to be carried out earlier.

Addressing Praveen Halappanavar, coroner MacLoughlin said: "I want to offer you my sincerest and deepest condolences on the death of Savita. You showed tremendous loyalty in the love to her during her last week.

"The whole of Ireland has followed your story and I want, on their behalf, to offer our deepest sympathy. You will be watched over and protected by the shadow of Savita who was in our thoughts during this painful and difficult journey."

Vows legal action

Husband of the NRI dentist Savita, Praveen Halappanavar (pic) from Karnataka, says University Hospital in Galway, Ireland, breached his wife’s right to life and is planning legal action against the hospital through the European courts of justice.

We were always kept in the dark. If Savita would have known her life was at risk she would have jumped off the bed, straight to a different hospital. But we were never told. Its horrendous, barbaric and inhuman the way Savita was treated in that hospital
—Praveen Halappanavar