AN INTERNATIONAL symposium on maternal healthcare attended
by up to 140 health professionals on Saturday December 8th in Dublin
issued an important declaration to be known as “the Dublin Declaration” which
confirms that abortion is never medically necessary to save the life of a
mother.
The symposium was organised by the Committee for Excellence
in Maternal Healthcare, chaired by Professor Eamon O’Dwyer, professor emeritus
of obstetrics and gynaecology at NUI Galway who said the outcome of the
symposium would provide “clarity and confirmation” to doctors and legislators
dealing with these issues.
Other members of the committee include Dr John Monaghan, Dr
John Greene and palliative care nurse specialist Sinéad Dennehy.
The full text of the declaration is as follows
DUBLIN
DECLARATION ON MATERNAL HEALTHCARE
“As experienced practitioners and researchers in Obstetrics
and Gynaecology,
- we affirm that direct abortion is not medically necessary to save the life of a woman.
- We uphold that there is a fundamental difference between abortion, and necessary medical treatments that are carried out to save the life of the mother, even if such treatment results in the loss of life of her unborn child.
- We confirm that the prohibition of abortion does not affect, in any way, the availability of optimal care to pregnant women.”
Professor Eamon O'Dwyer also said that the Symposium was
timely given that the issue of abortion was one of current public debate, and
that attempts were being made to confuse legitimate medical treatment with
abortion.
“Irish Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have previously
pointed out that treatment for conditions such as ectopic pregnancy are not
considered abortion by doctors, yet misinformation in regard to this abounds in
public debate. The Symposium clarifies that direct abortion is never medically
necessary to save the life of a woman, and that’s good news for mothers and
their babies,” said Professor O’Dwyer.
See also Irish Times report
