JEHOVAH’S Witnesses have called for meetings with hospital authorities to establish a protocol for dealing with emergencies where blood transfusions are recommended for its members.

YESTERDAY’S ruling that allows doctors to intervene and give blood transfusions to save the lives of two severely anaemic babies immediately after their birth, despite their parents’ objections on religious grounds, is very welcome.

THE Health Service Executive (HSE) will ask the High Court today for an order so it can give a blood transfusion to severely anaemic twin babies after they are born.

Ground-breaking talks between the Government and religious bodies began in Dublin today.

Direct official dialogue is to open up next year between the Government and leaders of dozens of religious communities based in Ireland, the Dáil heard today.

More Jehovah’s Witnesses are booked in to give birth at a hospital that controversially gave a pregnant woman a blood transfusion against her will, the High Court heard today.

MANY issues of a civil, ethical and religious kind flow from the decision of the High Court to grant the Coombe Hospital the right to enforce a Jehovah’s Witness woman to receive a blood transfusion against her will.

MEDICAL professionals and Jehovah’s Witnesses have clashed over whether or not the intervention by the High Court to save the life of a seriously ill African woman undermines their long-standing consensus on declining blood transfusions.

A CLOSE family friend of the Jehovah’s Witness woman who objected to allowing her infant receive potentially live-saving blood transfusions on religious grounds said she was “very upset” that the issue had resulted in a high-profile court case.