THE INQUEST INTO the death of Savita Halappanavar in Galway will enter its fourth day today.

Proceedings are due to resume at 10am at Galway Courthouse  to establish the facts surrounding the death of the 31-year-old dentist, who died on 28 October last year from complications resulting from septicaemia.

Consultant obstetrician Dr Katherine Astbury was cross-examined yesterday about whether she refused to terminate the pregnancy because of Ireland’s Catholic ethos.

Astbury said that there had been a “systems failure” in how Savita Halappanavar was treated, RTE News reports. She told the inquest that she had not carried out a termination because it would not have been legal to do so under Ireland’s current framework which does not permit abortion where there is a risk to the health – as opposed to the life – of the woman involved.

Separately midwife Ann Maria Burke told the inquest that she had made the comment first highlighted by Savita’s husband Praveen about a termination not being an option because Ireland is a Catholic country.

Almost 70 statements have been taken for the inquest from people involved in the case, but not all of them will be called as witnesses to the inquest, which is expected to last several more days.

Read: Doctor to be cross-examined on third day of Savita inquest >

Read: Inquest hears Savita’s words: ‘What kind of mother am I, waiting for my baby to die’ >