‘Our primary duty is saving mother’s life’

Leading obstetrician insists Eighth protects women

ONE of the country’s foremost obstetricians has said the Eighth Amendment does not prevent medics from looking after pregnant women who are seriously ill. Dr Eamon McGuinness – who is pro-life and against repealing the Eighth – insisted that no doctor would ever fail to intervene to save a pregnant woman, even if it meant putting the life of her unborn child at risk.

The former head of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said the Eighth had never affected his ‘ability to provide the best healthcare’ nor to his knowledge had it caused the death of any Irish woman.

The institute of which he was formerly chair has previously stated that it is in favour of removing the Eighth Amendment from the Constitution.

Yesterday, Dr McGuinness rejected the claims made by the Stance: Eamon McGuinness institute, telling a press conference held by the Save The 8th campaign group: ‘I don’t know what society they are working in; it must be different to mine.

‘No Irish doctor will ever fail to intervene when they know the life of a woman is at risk, even if that risks the life of an unborn child. When a conflict arises, we are very clear about where our primary duty lies – in saving the mother.’

Last October, Peter Boylan, the current head of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, told the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment that the current law on abortion here had led directly to the death of Savita Halappanavar, who died from sepsis at University Hospital Galway in 2012.

Save The 8th’s communications director, John McGuirk, also criticised certain doctors associated with the Together For Yes campaign, accusing them yesterday of ‘posing as independent experts’ when they appeared before the Oireacthas Committee.

He further claimed that media bias had allowed them to ‘masquerade’ themselves and claimed that more doctors had publicly come out against repealing the Eighth Amendment than in support of it.

The Together For Yes campaign declined to comment on the allegations made at the press conference.

An American woman who also spoke at the conference said that she opted to give birth in Ireland as opposed to her native New Jersey based on the protections offered by the existing amendment.

Audrey McElligott was treated for stage-four cancer that had spread to her lungs, liver and spleen while pregnant.

Ms McElligott said that suggestions by US medics that she terminate her pregnancy discouraged her from seeking treatment in her birth country.

She said she had decided to speak out because she was ‘appalled’ at suggestions that cancer treatment was not available to Irish women under the Eighth Amendment.

‘Doctors treated both me and my baby and saved both our lives,’ she said.

The conference took place amidst an increase in campaigning by both sides ahead of the repeal referendum on May 25.

‘Doctors treated me and my baby’