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Associated Press
# Settled
Praveen Halappanavar settles medical negligence case over death of his wife Savita
31-year-old Savita Halappanavar died in Galway hospital in 2012.
THE HUSBAND OF Savita Halappanavar has settled his medical negligence case against the HSE.
Praveen Halappanavar settled the case against the HSE and obstetrician Katherine Astbur out of court – just days before a three-day hearing was due to start in the High Court this afternoon.
Mr Justice Kevin Cross rubber stamped the settlement today. Halappanavar’s solicitor Gerard O’Donnell refused to comment on the case.
Papers lodged with the High Court in 2013 for the personal injury summons included over 30 instances of alleged negligence.
Praveen claims that his wife’s constitutional right to life was breached. Both a Hiqa report and separate HSE review have criticised the handling of Savita’s case.
Halappanavar was expected to return back to Ireland to give evidence in the case but he did not come back from the US for today’s proceedings.
The HSE also made an out of court settlement of €35,000 with Savita’s parents Akamahadevi and Andanappa Yalagi and her two older brothers.
Savita was 17 weeks pregnant when she was admitted to Galway University Hospital on 21 October 2012.
She died one week later on 28 October after miscarrying and going into septic shock due to E coli in her bloodstream.
An inquest into the death heard that Savita asked for a termination on several occasions but was refused because a foetal heartbeat was detected and an abortion could not be carried out under Irish law as her life did not appear to be in danger at that time.
Halappanavar’s death has brought the issue of Ireland’s abortion laws back into the spotlight.
Read: Six of seven maternity units have “deficits” in tests rolled out after Savita death>
