Abortion

Inquiry into Savita Halappanavar’s Death Already Tainted

A step by step, detailed timeline of the events leading up to Savita Halappanavar's death, presented by her husband and others with her at the time.

Praveen Halappanavar. Photo: Breakingnews.ie.

Investigations have been launched into the death of Savita Halappanavar, the Indian woman who died in Ireland after having a miscarriage. Already, there are suggestions of tampering, given revelations that hospital records have been edited to delete her multiple requests for an abortion.

Now, her husband has provided his own timeline of events to the Irish Times, and his story is told in heartbreaking detail, especially in the hours prior to Savita’s death.

October 27th 

On Saturday things worsen and Savita’s heart, liver and kidney start to fail. There is talk of putting her on dialysis as she goes into multi-organ failure.

“The doctor asked me to come into his office and he had a chat with me. He said that he thought I should tell people – her folks and family – that she is very, very ill.” He goes to the hospital chapel to pray. At about midnight, a nurse comes to find him. “While we were walking the corridor she took my hand and asked me, ‘Are you okay to be next to Savita during her last few minutes? I think we are losing her’.

“I felt everything was just numb. It was the end of the world. Then I walked in and there was a big team around her. They were trying to pump her heart. The minute the doctor saw me, she came and held my hand and said, ‘You know what’s happening?’ I said yes. She said: ‘We are losing her. She is dying’.”

October 28th 

At nine minutes past 1am, Savita dies.

Savita’s husband, Praveen, has expressed concern that the inquiry into his wife’s death will be mishandled, especially after news broke that the requests for an abortion had been found missing from the hospital reports. He had refused to allow the hospital to use her records in the investigation, saying he had no faith in their inquiry.

The investigation is expected to conclude before Christmas.