I've been resisting posting on this thread as its too close to the bone.
we have three children but we have been pregnant more than three times.
I work in this area and today participated in two "legal" abortions and I've also helped with some legally dubios abortions in this state so I probably have more experience than most posters here to comment.
All the facts in this case are not out yet. I'd be surprised (and ashamed) if there was any medical negligence in this case. Irish law is clear, one of the few areas where the law rather that professional standards dictate care is in this area. The only thing that is clear is that if you perform an illegal abortion the doctor is guilty of a criminal offence and I think the term is 20 years in prison (happy to be corrected on this). What is not clear is when an abortion can me performed.
A 31 year old female has an risk of dying of about 0.001% (guess)
A 31 year old Pregnant female has a risk of dring of about 0.01% (guess)
A 31 year old Pregnant female at 17 weeks with ruptured membranes has risk of dying of about a 0.05% (guess)
A 31 year old miscarrying female at 17 weeks with a temperature has a risk of dying of about 0.1% (guess)
A 31 year old miscarrying female at 17 weeks with a temperature and blood pressure problems has about a 0.5% risk of dying (guess)
A 31 year old septic female on a ventilator in ICU has about a risk of dying of about 40% (guess)
Where was the immediate risk to the life of the mother? when was it too late to avert the inevitable? the law is clear if you abort the fetus to save the mother where there is no clear threat you are at risk of offenes against the state and are facing 20 years in prison and striking off the medical register.
Michael Martin (former minister for health) was calling for legislation for clarity on abortion legislation when a mothers life eis at risk. this is all bull**** at the peripheries. Abortions occur daily in Ireland for this there is no issue. its when there is no clear risk to the mother but an abortion is still indicated there is a problem*. Its clear in this case that if this girl had an ERPC (clearance of the uterus) she would probably be alive today. She was prevented from this medical procedure either by the law in Ireland, the reluctance of the Dr due to the law in Ireland or the religious beliefs of the Dr in Ireland. A colleague informs me that She has regularly performed abortions in Galway so it its more likely that the law and lack of clarity in legislation save for the prison term for the Dr delayed what only in retrospect was life saving treatment for this woman.
The Government is more concerned with introducing Blasphemy legislation that women's rights. Despite the recent constitutional referendum this Gov and successive Irish Gov's do not care about women or children's rights. The three maternity hospitals (one in particular) are bursting at the seams, women get to deliver babies in shared delivery rooms (just like the 3rd world) our hospital was recently refused a new hospital because the buildings we had allocated were taken by the IDA for multinationals offices. Make no mistake that status of women and children is extremely low in Ireland and particularly in "Catholic" Ireland as it always has been.
If any journalists want to pm me I'd be delighted to chat
* There are a few conditions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anencephaly,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patau_syndrome,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwards_syndrome,
None of these women are allowed an abortion under Irish law. All of these conditions are lethal to the fetus. There is no possibility of a viable baby out of this but all Irish women are forced to carry these babies to term whether they want to or not. this is an affront to human rights and a disgrace.
In Ireland we do not take into consideration the view or opinion of the mother in any way.
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