Systemic failures and deficiencies led to death

Savita Halappanavar died as a result of medical misadventure, a jury at her inquest has unanimously ruled.

Savita was 17 weeks’ pregnant when admitted to University Hospital Galway on October 21 last year with an inevitable miscarriage.

She died a week later after suffering a septic blood infection.

A jury at her inquest in Galway courthouse also accepted nine recommendations put forward by coroner Dr Ciarán MacLoughlin.

The medical misadventure ruling found that there were systemic failures or deficiencies in the care given to Mrs Halappanavar before she died.

Widower Praveen Halappanavar should have been celebrating his fifth wedding anniversary with his wife yesterday.

He was given a health service internal review of his wife’s death on Mar 30, the day their baby Prasa had been due.

The jury deliberated for about three hours.

Dr MacLoughlin warned that the deficiencies or failures in the care of Mrs Halappanavar did not cause her death.

Mr Halappanavar sat with his legal team as the coroner, gardaí, the jury and legal teams for the hospital and its staff sympathised with him.

The 34-year-old shook hands with the coroner and jury members at the end of the hearing, moments after his solicitor thanked the coroner for “extraordinary sensitivity and logic” during the inquest.

During seven days of evidence, the jury heard that Mrs Halappanavar would probably still be alive today if the law in Ireland allowed an abortion as by the time she miscarried it was too late to save her.

Leading obstetrician Peter Boylan outlined deficiencies in her care, but stressed that none on its own was likely to have resulted in Mrs Halappanavar’s death.

After the verdict was returned, Mr MacLoughlin spoke to Mr Halappanavar: “Praveen 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.”

Tony Cavanan, head of the HSE’s Galway-Roscommon Hospital Group, admitted mistakes were made: “Sadly there were lapses in the standard of care.”

Health Minister James Reilly said it was his intention to learn from the inquest, the watchdog inquiry and a clinical review.

He also said he had no problem apologising to Mr Halappanavar.