No figures for calls made to Mullingar miscarraige helpline

The HSE has said this week that it cannot confirm how many calls, if any, have been made to a specially designated helpline to assist women treated at MRH Mullingar who fear that they not have had a miscarriage but were given an evacuation procedure.It will be July before the health body will confirm how many local woman rang to express concern that their pregnancy was terminated unnecessarily using an evacuation procedure which is par for the course after a miscarriage.The scandal broke last week after a mum attending Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda told how her pregnancy would have been terminated had she listened to hospital advice.Fortunately she sought a second opinion and discovered that her maternal instinct was right and that her baby, now a healthy three-month old boy, was still alive. Other mums then came forward, sparking a national scare.In a statement released this week a HSE spokeswoman said that the body had been working with all 19 maternity facilities about their care treatment plans."Maternity hospitals around the country are reporting they have been receiving calls from women with a variety of concerns," read the statement."Some have asked to have their files reviewed/checked while others were seeking to access counselling services. This HSE is reminding women who may be concerned about a diagnosis of miscarriage they received at a maternity hospital that in the first instance they should contact the maternity hospital at which they received treatment.The woman's own hospital is best placed to access their file and to deal appropriately with their concerns as swiftly as possible."To ensure that they can access information relating to their treatment as swiftly as possible, women are advised to contact the hospital where they received treatment.Contact details for each of the hospitals are now available on the HSE website, www.hse.ieand from the HSE Infoline on 1850 24 1850.