Savita case review stalled

Legal issues have prevented the publication of the HSE’s clinical review on the death of Savita Halappanavar, it has emerged.

Health Minister James Reilly said yesterday he would have expected the report to be ready by now but there had been legal issues.

It had been expected initially that the report would be published at the end of last December and subsequently in mid-February.

Dr Reilly said that a draft report had been sent out to those mentioned in the report who had a right to challenge it.

He said he intended presenting a copy of the report to Ms Halappanavar’s husband, Praveen Halappanavar as soon as he got it.

“I would like that he would make any observations on the report before we publish it. I think that is only right and proper and I said that from the outset and I am standing by it,” said Mr Halappanavar.

Ms Halappanavar, aged 31, died last October in University College Hospital in Galway, a week after being admitted to the hospital 17 weeks pregnant and miscarrying.

Ms and Mr Halappanavar both asked that the pregnancy be terminated after being told she would miscarry. The termination was refused because the unborn baby still had a heart beat.

Ms Halappanavar died days later after suffering septicaemia and organ failure.

Her death has put pressure on the Government to speed up work on legislating for abortion in cases where a woman’s life is threatened, as required by a judgement of the European Court of Human Rights.