Women's commission to take up abortion row with MEA

The National Commission for Women on Friday said it would take up with the external affairs ministry the issue of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar's death in Ireland after doctors allegedly refused to terminate her 17-week pregnancy on the ground that it was a Catholic country.

"The Indian government should take action and I will take it up with the external affairs ministry on Monday -- that the Irish government should ease the strict abortion rules on humanitarian grounds," said NCW chairperson Mamata Sharma.

"Two deaths in one instance; what humanitarian grounds are they (Irish government) talking about," she asked.

Halappanavar, who was admitted to University Hospital Galway in west Ireland in October, died of septicaemia after doctors rejected her repeated pleas for termination of the 17 week-old miscarried foetus.