Pregnant woman dies in agony as doctors do nothing by command of the Irish Catholic Church

[Playinghardball]

The Guardian:

"This is a Catholic country," was what Irish doctors told Savita Halappanavar after she learned she was miscarrying her pregnancy and asked for an abortion to avoid further complications. She spent three days in agonizing pain, eventually shaking, vomiting and passing out. She again asked for an abortion and was refused, because the fetus still had a heartbeat.
Then she died.

Here's a photo of Savita Halappanavar:


She was 17 weeks pregnant, died of septicaemia a week after presenting with back pain on 21 October at University hospital in Galway, where she was found to be miscarrying.

Her husband describes her last days:

More at: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/14/1161544/-Pregnant-woman-dies-in-agony-as-doctors-do-nothing-by-command-of-the-Irish-Catholic-Church

[mr_hat]

1. If this is true as reported,

there must be arrests.

[atreides1]

8. Arrests for what?

The doctors were following Irish law as it's currently written.

The same kind of law that the religious fanatics want here in the US!

[mr_hat]

24. Irish law allows for abortions when the mother's life is at risk.

Look it up.

[LisaL]

31. Well it appears the doctors are so scared, that they would not remove the dying fetus from

this poor woman.

[MineralMan]

2. A Pox on the Roman Catholic Church for Such Decisions!

That woman was not even a Catholic, and they let her die over their own dogma. Someone should go to prison over this.

They have gone too far, once again. The decision was tantamount to murder.

[atreides1]

9. It doesn't matter to fanatics

The Irish Catholic church seems to have the same concern for women's health that the Taliban has for women's rights...none!

[MineralMan]

13. It's not just the Irish Catholic Church. It is the entire

Roman Catholic Church. Their dogma has killed enormous numbers of women over the centuries. They put no value on women, except as birthing organisms. That dogma is obscene and should be abolished by law. That any woman who could survive dies from a miscarriage that is not properly treated is an abomination of the first order. It is murder.

[nc4bo]

3. Isn't this an example of what Ryan, Atkins, Murdock, the Xian Right want for ALL women in the U.S.?

No abortions regardless of the circumstance?

This is their ideology.

[MH1]

34. Yes, that is what those fuckwad scumbag shitholes want for women in the US.

I'd use even more adjectives but I'm tired.

[Lucy Goosey]

4. Pro-Life Fail

This shit just makes me so angry, I hardly know what to say.

[forestpath]

5. The Catholic Church strikes again.

[Ash_F]

6. Wow I had no idea Ireland was like that. /nt

The Repubs would have it that way here. Poor woman.

[hifiguy]

7. Negligent homicide.

Fk the RCC.

[MineralMan]

17. No. Premeditated First Degree Murder.

They had the means to save her life. She begged for her life. They stood by and watched her die, despite knowing they could save her life. That is premeditated murder.

[hifiguy]

18. Somebody belongs in prison for a

very long time, whatever the charge.

[MineralMan]

19. Agreed. Further, I'd advise any pregnant woman not

to visit Ireland under any circumstances. It could prove fatal.

[4th law of robotics]

29. And a terrible batch of doctors

I can't imagine what it would be like to watch someone die painfully for three days knowing you could prevent it easily.

Doctors aren't supposed to be that kind of person.

[LisaL]

33. I suppose blaming the doctors is easier than to blame the law.

"Ireland's constitution officially bans abortion, but a 1992 Supreme Court ruling found it should be legalized for situations when the woman's life is at risk from continuing the pregnancy. Five governments since have refused to pass a law resolving the confusion, leaving Irish hospitals reluctant to terminate pregnancies except in the most obviously life-threatening circumstances."

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/14/15164593-tragic-savita-case-reignites-abortion-debate-in-ireland?lite

[EC]

21. Deprived indifference. n/t

[Arugula Latte]

10. Hopefully in the coming century the Catholic Church's power will be obliterated

and it will be thrown on the dustbin of history. It couldn't happen to a more deserving, evil, fucked-up institution that has caused untold human suffering for eons.

[Wind Dancer]

12. +1000

Agree completely!

[Initech]

22. Ex Catholic here and I couldn't agree more.

The church has become so disgustingly archaic with it's stance on everything from homosexualality to it's "pro life" (term used loosely) stance it's just indescribable. To prove it they elected a Pope who just doesn't seem to give a fuck. They either need to get with the fucking times or they'll go in the history books where they belong.

[Control-Z]

11. This is just too much.

Her death was 100% preventable, damn it. Poor woman.

[MineralMan]

14. Jail everyone responsible for this death, including

any church officials who were consulted by the doctors. They have murdered this woman, who is a Hindu, not a Catholic, and not even a citizen of Ireland. It is an abomination.

[MH1]

35. And can you imagine the suffering of the family?

Her husband, who was there through that? He has to live with it, and without her.

This is such a horrendous situation. I don't know how the doctors responsible can live with themselves.

[riderinthestorm]

15. Its murder plain and simple.

Disgusting, despicable outrageous laws. Ireland MUST reform its heinous abortion laws. I don't expect beautiful Savita's death to be the turning point but the weight of her body on top of all of the others who have died before her may someday tip the scales towards reform.

[Ken Burch]

16. If they knew she was miscarrying, they already knew a live birth was impossible.

Last edited Sun Nov 18, 2012, 07:24 PM - Edit history (1)

It's not as if a miscarriage can ever be stopped.

She was murdered by bitter old men in mitres. There are good things in the Catholic tradition, but its sanctimonius misogyny ain't one of 'em.

Sinead O'Connor could get a song out of this tragedy.

[Cleita]

36. Sinead O'Connor could do more and I believe she will.

She's quite the activist against the Catholic church inspired legislation in Ireland where it regards women

[Cleita]

38. This is what happens when you don't have sharp lines between church and state.

Our fundamentalist Christians have the same mindset that the Catholics have and if they get their anti-women health legislation pushed forward, we will see the same here.

[hedgehog]

20. I went to the RTE site and saw a time line there -

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/1114/timeline-savita-halappanavars-death.html


I suspect that it would be accepted medical practice in this country to allow a miscarriage to proceed naturally, so as far as that goes, I don't think abortion would have been advised regardless of the law. (My children were all born 20 years ago, so i could be wrong about current practice!)

In this case, I think the problem was that the hospital failed to recognize that infection was present and/or failed to treat with the proper antibiotics. It's possible that it was an infection that caused the miscarriage. So i think this is more a matter of medical malpractice than of a woman's right to choose.

[Warren DeMontague]

23. Another moral victory or the folks who helped child abusers escape the law.

Remind me again why the pope isnt facing international conpiracy charges on that?

[Ilsa]

25. Harsh laws like Ireland's create these problems.

Even if they knew an abortion might be justified, they let the extremism get in the way of their medical judgment.

The law needs to be changed so doctors and staff don't have to worry about jail or bsnkruptcy in defending themselves for doing their duty.

[Scootaloo]

26. So much angry... I don't have words for it

I'm not sure the language has words for it.

In fear for their own prosperity, these doctors just let a woman die in agony. LET HER DIE. it was preventable, and they stood by and watched it happen, because, oh gosh, we might go out of business. They did so at the behest of a coward government which passed this law, knowing full well what the consequences would be. They were warned, they charged ahead anyway. They did so to serve the interests of an archaic institution that revolves around a fantasy world, where a magic man living in the sky talks to you, but only if you have a dick and only if you promise to not use it.

Savita's blood is on their hands. Hers and those women who will follow so long as this law stands, so long as this standard persists. If they truly believe their faith, then I hope that their hell yawns open for them whenever they close their eyes. I hope htye never sleep again, for terror of the fate that awaits them if they never wake up.

[GiaGiovanni]

27. When "pro life" means everybody dies

What "life" was served here?

All that seems to have been upheld is an impossible and abstract theological opinion.

[4th law of robotics]

28. It's what god would have wanted. God never makes mistakes so we shouldn't intervene. . . .

unless of course you're using medicine to promote pregnancies via artificial fertility treatments. Then god didn't know what the hell he was doing and it's up to us to fix his mistakes.



/if that blurb is accurate this is fucked up. I hope this spurs a change in that law so at least some good comes from this tragedy.

[lindysalsagal]

30. "We want you to die to prove we're 'Pro-Life'."

"Because, if we let you live, that will be pro-death."

[REP]

32. Ah, the RCC in Ireland - keeping up their hideous legacy into the 21st century

Heartbroken, undoubtedly, that they can't as easily torture shameful women in their prisons laundries they have no doubt taken some solace in killing this heathen (well, she looks heathen, doesn't she? She's smiling in that photo).

(In case there is any doubt, I do not really have any derogatory thoughts about Ms Halappanavar, and I'm sorry she died a horrible and unnecessary death at the hands of ignorant savages. My deepest sympathy to her family and friends for their unspeakable loss. My sympathy also to the good and decent people of Ireland.)

[Playinghardball]

37. FUCK THE CATHOLIC CHURCH!!!!

And all religions!!