Savita Halappanavar was a
31-year-old woman who moved from India to Ireland 4 years ago. She spent a week
in the University Hospital Galway before dying from blood poisoning. During the
time she was hospitalized, she, who was 17 weeks pregnant, was informed that
she was miscarrying. She went through a lot of pain and suffering during the 7
days of her stay in the Hospital and repeatedly asked doctor to finish her
pregnancy. However, the Hospital refused
her request arguing that the fetus still had a heartbeat and because “this is a Catholic country.”
Savita
was allowed to have an abortion almost 3 days after the fetus’ heartbeat
stopped, but it was too late. She was moved to an intensive care unit, but she
died of septicemia.
Although abortion is illegal in Ireland, the
Supreme Court of the country commanded to do it in case the mother’s life is in
danger during pregnancy; unfortunately, governments in Ireland have refused to make
that command legal, so hospitals rarely obey this order.
I think it is really unfair for women to not
have the right to decide for their own lives, especially when the fetus has no
chance whatsoever to survive and puts in danger the mother’s life. Moreover, I
believe it is not fair to argue that because of religious reasons Savita was
not allowed to end her fetus’ life. Why, if not everybody in the world shares
the same religion, do societies have to be so influenced by one?
What do you
think of Savita’s case?
