Ireland drops 3 doctors from probe panel after Savita’s husband objects

The three doctors are John J Morrison (a consultant obstetrician gynaecologist); Catherine Fleming (a consultant in infectious diseases); and Brian Harte (a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care).

Prime Minister Enda Kenny told lawmakers that he hopes that this move will allow her widower to support the probe. Praveen Halappanavar, who returned to London on Sunday, had said that he would not cooperate with the probe because three senior doctors of University Hospital, Galway, were appointed as investigators.

Savita, 31, had died of blood poisoning in the hospital on October 28 after she was admitted with pain and an imminent miscarriage. Doctors refused her requests for a termination stating that the 17-year-old foetus still had a heartbeat and that it is a Catholic country.

Ireland had earlier formed a seven-member team for investigation and had promised that the official inquiry would be fair and methodical and that it will be concluded in the shortest possible time.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has set up the inquiry team, and it would be headed by Dr Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, a London-based obstetrician/gynaecologist, The Irish Times reported.

Apart from Arulkumaran, the members will now include Cathriona Molloy, a founding member of patient advocacy group Patient Focus; Cora McCaughan, the co-chair of the HSE's national incident management team; Geraldine Keohane, the director of midwifery and nursing at Cork University Maternity Hospital.

Arulkumaran, the head of obstetrics and gynaecology at St George's Hospital, University of London, said the team would over the next three days examine the case notes, look at guidelines and interview the various people involved in the treatment of Savita.

"After that evidence is taken, we will analyse (it) and there might be incidents where we might want to ask further questions and we will address these further questions to these individuals concerned," he said.

Philip Crowley, HSE's national director of quality and patient safety, said the inquiry would identify all the facts through a fair and methodical investigation and identify any safety issues.

The team would be "examining all the factors that may have influenced the death of Halappanavar," he said.

Hope conscience of Irish political rulers will awaken to prevent such cases: Vayalar Ravi

With the Irish government likely to discuss amendments to its anti-abortion law in the wake of the death of an Indian dentist, Union Minister Vayalar Ravi on Tuesday said he hopes the conscience of the political class in Ireland will "awaken" to prevent such incidents from happening in future.

"The law should protect the life of every human being. Hope the conscience of the political rulers (in Ireland) will awaken and they will make some decision so that such incidents do not repeat," Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Ravi said.

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