Midwife regrets 'Catholic' comment to Savita

A senior midwife has apologised after admitting she told Savita Halappanavar that she could not have a termination in Ireland because of Catholic influence.

Visibly shaken, Ann-Maria Burke told the inquest into Savita's death that she was not trying to be hurtful, but was attempting to explain the law of the land.

“I am sorry that I said it,” she said.

The midwife said it was more of a chat, a conversation which she regretted, and that the remark had not been meant to reflect what care could be provided to a patient.

Ms Burke had earlier arrived in the courthouse doubled over with her head buried in her hands after walking through flanks of cameras, with a friend reassuring her she was “safe now” inside the building.

After reading her statement on the clinical care she gave her patient in the witness box, she anxiously awaited the coroner’s questions.

Her face and neck reddened, she breathed deeply and sipped water as tried to compose herself.

Dr Ciaran MacLoughlin said the Catholic remark “went all around the world” even though all public hospitals in Ireland are legally barred from following tenets or dogma of any religious persuasion.

“I know that,” the middle-aged midwife replied.

“This was not anything to do with providing care for her. It was really something I said that I kind of regret.”

Ms Burke, with decades of experience in nursing, said she used the reference to Catholic teaching after 31-year-old Mrs Halappanavar, who was crying, said she was Hindu and that if she had been in India she would have ended her pregnancy.

“I did mention it’s a Catholic country,” Ms Burke told the coroner.

Her admission backs up claims from a friend of Mrs Halappanavar, Mrudula Vasealli, who told the inquest yesterday that a midwife made the reference to “a Catholic thing”.

The midwife said on reflection she was very upset that she had made the remark. Ms Burke said the conversation was “prompted” by Mrs Halappanavar, who was upset after a scan revealed on the Tuesday morning that her baby’s heart was still beating.

After seeing how upset Mrs Halappanavar had become from the scan the midwife said she relayed the patient’s request to ask doctors not to carry out further scans for a pulse.

Ms Burke said she had been aware from the doctors’ morning rounds that a foetal heart was present and that inducing the pregnancy was not an option and that a stitch to the cervix was not being considered.

“It was not in a context to offend here,” she continued.

“I’m sorry if it came across (that way). It did not come across insensitive at the time.”

“It does sound very bad now. But at the time I didn’t mean it that way.”

Ms Burke said she was trying to describe “the law of the land” and explain the culture in Ireland after referendums have been held in recent years that confirmed the right to life of the unborn and continued the ban on abortion except in the real and substantial threat to a woman’s life, including suicide.

“The Catholic church was present then,” Ms Burke said.

“It was more to give information and to throw light on how our culture is as opposed to her culture. I was trying to be sensitive. In effect the opposite way to what was portrayed.”

Ms Burke said she was trying to be “broad and comprehensive” in giving Mrs Halappanavar more information because she was puzzled, although she had understood it was against the law.

“I was trying to be as kind as I could, but it came out the wrong way,” she said.

“I’m sorry that I said it.”

Mrs Halappanavar was admitted to hospital on Sunday October 21 and delivered a dead baby daughter on Wednesday October 24.

She died the following Sunday of a heart attack caused by septicaemia due to E.coli.