Husband to receive draft on Savita Halappanavar’s care

Feedback from Praveen can be included in final report on ’abortion refusal’ case

Minister for Health James Reilly said the draft of the Health Service Executive’s clinical review into the death of Savita Halappanavar will be personally handed to her husband Praveen  tomorrow. Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times
Minister for Health James Reilly said the draft of the Health Service Executive’s clinical review into the death of Savita Halappanavar will be personally handed to her husband Praveen tomorrow. Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times

The husband of late Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar will be able to make changes to an official report into her medical care, it was confirmed.

Minister for Health James Reilly said the draft of the Health Service Executive's (HSE) clinical review will be personally handed to Praveen Halappanavar tomorrow.

He stressed this was not the final version, as Mr Halappanavar - who has so far refused to co-operate with the inquiry - may want to contribute to the report before its publication.

“It would be allow him and his advisers time to examine the report,” said Dr Reilly, who has not seen the draft version.

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“There will be an invitation offered to him to attend to meet the chairman and then to make any observations he may wish to make, which could be incorporated into the report.”

Dr Reilly said any adjustments would be made before the final report is brought before Cabinet.

Three inquiries were launched into the death of Ms Halappanavar on October 28th at University Hospital Galway.

She was 17 weeks pregnant when she was admitted to the hospital a week earlier, but suffered a miscarriage and subsequently died of septicaemia.

Her husband claims doctors refused to carry out an abortion as a foetal heartbeat was present.

The HSE inquiry chairman, Prof Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, head of obstetrics and gynaecology at St George's Hospital, University of London, was granted access to all relevant staff and personnel files and records.

The long-awaited report had originally been promised before the end of February, when a leaked draft copy claimed blood tests from the day she was admitted were not followed up on.

It also found doctors did not respond immediately to calls to attend to her because they were too busy, and it warns that abortion on medical grounds was not considered early enough in her care.

The Health Information and Quality Authority is also investigating Ms Halappanavar’s death, while an inquest by coroner Ciaran MacLoughlin in Galway will be held next month.

PA