Praveen Halappanavar
has spoken of his hope that his wife Savita’s death will lead to
legislation being enacted that ensures no-one should ever again die in
such circumstances as she did.
Speaking to The Irish Times this evening, Mr Halappanavar said the lack
of clarity about when a doctor may terminate a pregnancy had been a
“huge shock” to him and “devastating news” for Savita.
“You lose your rights basically when you are pregnant here I think. You
lose your rights to get necessary healthcare. Savita and me, we knew
that abortion was illegal in Ireland
but not termination when it is a planned pregnancy, when you can’t save
the baby and the mother may die if you don’t do something like
terminate. That was big shock for us.”
Asked how Savita had reacted when told by Dr Katherine Astbury
– according to his account – on Monday October 22nd that the 17-week
pregnancy she was miscarrying could not be terminated because the foetal
heart-beat was still present, he said: “She was devastated basically.
She was in tears. She was really pushing for it and determined because
she wanted to be home before her parents had to go back to India, She really wanted to see them off at the airport and she wanted the situation to end.”
He said it was “some small bit of comfort that the truth” had emerged
at the inquest as he had told it and he hoped good would come of it.
“I hope something good comes out of it and I hope something good comes
out of it. That is what her family wants, that no other woman would have
to go through the trauma that Savita, her parents, the family had to go
through.”
In particular he hoped it would mean the Government would move hastily
to legislate to clarify the legal situation as to when Irish women may
be entitled to abortions in obstetric emergencies.
“Fingers crossed. I am optimistic about it,” he said this evening at a friend’s house in Galway
city. “I hope something good comes of it. I do hope it for Irish women
and I owe it to Savita. I know her parents want that too.”
* An extended interview with Praveen Halappanaver will be in tomorrow's edition of The Irish Times