Halappanavar unlikely to meet inquiry team

It is looking increasingly likely that the husband of the late Savita Halappanavar will not meet the HSE inquiry team but will correct any inaccuracies in its draft report into his wife’s death.

Praveen Halappanavar received a copy of the document yesterday. It is expected that the HSE investigation into her death will be published before or on the day of the inquest into her death. It will go to the Cabinet first. The inquest is to take place on Apr 8.

Mr Halappanavar is examining the 108-page report and has been offered a meeting with the inquiry team chairman, Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, head of obstetrics and gynaecology at St George’s Hospital, University of London, next week. To date, Mr Halappanavar has refused to co-operate with the inquiry.

Ms Halappanavar died on Oct 28 at University Hospital Galway. She was 17 weeks pregnant when she was admitted a week earlier, but suffered a miscarriage and died of septicaemia.

Mr Halappanavar claims doctors refused to carry out an abortion as a foetal heartbeat was present. His legal team say a termination would prevented the onset of septicaemia.

Yesterday, Tony Canavan, chief operating officer at the Galway/Roscommon Gr-oup, said the HSE wants Mr Halappanavar to meet with it as it believes “the report and the whole process will be stronger because of the involvement of the family”.

Mr Praveen’s solicitor, Gerard O’Donnell said his client was taking an “open-minded” approach to the HSE report but his objective “is to find the truth”.

“That’s always been his objective. He himself, having been present with his wife, knows exactly what happened and he’s hoping that will be borne out in the report. That’s the first and most important objective. Secondly, he wants to make sure that something like this never happens again to any woman in Ireland.”

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) is also conducting a statutory investigation.