Midwife called to give evidence at Savita inquest

A midwife has been called to give evidence at Savita Halappanavar's inquest over an alleged comment that her pregnancy could not be terminated because 'it was a Catholic thing'.

A friend of the 31-year-old dentist has given evidence that she was present at Galway University Hospital when the remark was made.

Mrudula Vasealli recalls a midwife telling Mrs Halappanavar "we don't do that here dear, it's a Catholic thing".

Vasealli also told the inquest: "The nurses were lovely, it's the system that's wrong."

Lawyers for the hospital say they are not obliged to hand over the work roster but after a short adjournment they said the "best guess" was that the woman was clinical midwife manager Ann Maria Burke, whose statement makes no reference to the remark.

The coroner ordered she be added to the list of witnesses to be called.

The rest of the afternoon will be dominated by medical evidence.