Kivlehans gone ‘ through hoops’ to reach inquest
HEARTBROKEN HUSBAND HOPING TO FINALLY GET ANSWERS
HEARTBROKEN widower Michael Kivlehan hopes he will finally get answers as to why his 29- year- old wife died days after giving birth at Sligo Regional Hospital
Yesterday ( Monday), an inquest into her death opened with the family saying they had gone “through hoops” to get an inquest held here.
Dhara died almost four years ago after having been transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
About a week earlier, she had given birth to a son, Dior.
Solicitor Damien Tansey said: “Soon it will be four years since this tragedy occurred.
“To say the Kivlehans have gone through hoops to get an inquisitorial process under way to extract answers is an understatement.”
The inquest has been adjourned to Wednesday, July 9th, when Coroner Eamon McGowan is expected to announce the witnesses he is calling. It is hoped to have the full inquest in September.
Michael Kivlehan was accompanied at Monday’s hearing by Sean Rowlette, from Dromore West.
Mr Rowlette’s wife, Sally, died after giving birth in January 2013, leaving behind four children, including her baby.
THE HEARTBROKEN husband and family of a 29- year- old woman who died after giving birth at Sligo Regional Hospital are hoping they’ll finally get answers after an inquest opened into her death.
Yesterday ( Monday) a preliminary hearing into the death of Dhara Kivlehan opened in Carrick- on- Shannon.
Dhara, wife of Michael Kivlehan of Friarstown, Dromahair, died in Royal Victoria Hospital almost four years ago from what is believed to be complications from pre- eclampsia and Hellp Syndrome.
The effort to have an inquest into her death has been long and tortuous,.
Now, Dhara’s husband and family want it to be “fulsome and complete.”
Their solicitor Damien Tansey said: “Soon it will be four years since this tragedy occurred.
“To say the Kivlehans have gone through hoops to get an inquisitorial process underway to extract answers is an understatement.
“The Kivlehan family are very disappointed it has taken four years to get to this date. You had a widower with a new baby.
“You can only imagine they difficulties they go through, and will continue to go through.
“The Irish mother is a very important person in every house.
“Dhara came to Ireland and became more Irish than the Irish themselves.
“When a death arises in unexplained circumstances, the community at large is bewildered and troubled.
“It needs some assurance it will not happen again. The tragedy in this area, it seems, is that lessons were not learned.
“Last year, another young woman died giving birth at Sligo Regional Hospital.”
Mr Tansey pointed to Sean Rowlette, from Dromore West, who accompanied Mr Kivlehan at the inquest.
Mr Rowlette’s wife, Sally, died in January 2013, leaving behind four children under seven, including her baby.
The inquest into the death of Dhara Kivlehan is now taking place only after a direction from the Attorney General.
If an inquest took place in Northern Ireland, witnesses from the Republic would not have been compelled to attend.
Mr Tansey said the primary concern of the Kivlehan family now, having waited so long, was that there would be “no attempt to truncate the process.”
“It could very well have happened in this case that there was no inquiry into the cause of death,” Mr Tansey said.
He added the case “resembled very closely” the case of Savita Halapanavar, in which 41 witnesses were called.
He said: “In that case, even though she died subsequent to Mrs Kivlehan, an inquest was held within six months.”
Monday’s preliminary hearing was to deal with the issue of witnesses and statements for the inquest.
It has now been adjourned to Wednesday, July 9th, when Coroner Eamon McGowan is expected to announce the witnesses he is calling.
It is hoped to have the inquest itself in September.
Of 20 witnesses being sought by the Kivlehans from Sligo General Hospital, 12 are doctors.
Mr Tansey said: “We have 14 depositions from doctors in Belfast.
“We have only four depositions from doctors in Sligo, and that tells its own message.”
Ms Adrienne Egan, SC, with Mr Declan Hegarty on behalf of the HSE, said she wished to make it clear the hospital made huge efforts to have the inquest held.
Mr Tansey agreed the fact that death occurred in Northern Ireland was an obstacle to holding an inquest.
The HSE has already admitted liability and apologised as part of a High Court settlement in the Dhara Kivlehan case.
A settlement of almost € 800,000 was approved.
However Mr. Tansey said: “There was no inquiry as such.
“Mr Kivlehan and the extended family have numerous queries they wish to have answers to and they see this as the forum to do so.”