NEW DELHI: Women here in India are stunned after an Indian woman living in Ireland died after reportedly being refused an abortion. The reports, which hit Delhi this week, have left many women in the country angry and demanded justice for one of their own. “This is appalling and I am so mad right now that I can't even imagine what the Irish government and prosecution will do. It better hold the doctors responsible,” one social worker in Delhi told Bikyamasr.com. “We have this belief that the west is better for women and now this happens. It is sad and shocking,” she added. The death of Savita Halappanavar has shocked much of India, and has led to rights groups lashing out at the Irish government and medical community over the matter. According to a Galway-based surgeon and close friend of the woman, the case must be the subject of an independent public inquiry. Dr CVR Prasad, an orthopaedic surgeon at Merlin Park Hospital in Galway, said such an inquiry must be taken out of the hands of the Health Service Executive or University Hospital Galway, the Irish Times reported. But back in Delhi, anger is rising and a few women's rights activists said that if the government does not investigate the incident with pace, they would head to the Ireland embassy in the city to protest against the death. “We will do whatever we can as Indians to pressure Ireland to take this matter seriously,” said women's activist Sunitra. She told Bikyamasr.com that this “should not be taken lightly because the woman is a minority in their country and we will protest if we have to.” Ireland's government has reportedly not ruled out an independent inquiry into the death of Halappanavar, who presented on October 21 with back pain at Galway University Hospital where she was found to be miscarrying at 17 weeks. She died of septicaemia on October 28. Medical professionals said that if she had been given an abortion, she could have survived. Her husband, an engineer at Boston Scientific in Galway, reportedly described how his wife had asked several times over a three-day period that the pregnancy be terminated, given that she was in pain and was miscarrying. He said the request was refused by medical staff who said they could not do anything because there was still a fetal heartbeat. He added they were told that this was the law and that “this is a Catholic country.” The incident has left a stain on Irish political and social life, which is having ramifications back in India, where women are demanding that Dublin take responsibility for the woman's death, which they say that if discovered could have been prevented should lead to jail time for someone. “I expect that if nobody goes to jail over what is obviously a violation of medical practices, then we women in India will be extremely angry,” added the social worker. The husband said his wife spent more than three days “in agony" until the fetal heartbeat stopped. The fetus was removed, but Halappanavar's condition deteriorated and she died.
