Widowers of women who died at Sligo hospital to meet Varadkar

Two men whose wives died in childbirth at Sligo Regional Hospital are due to meet with Minister for Health Leo Varadkar on Monday.

Michael Kivlehan and Sean Rowlette are both calling for assurances from Mr Varadkar that measures are being taken to ensure the safety of maternity units across the country.

Dhara Kivlehan (28) died in a Belfast Hospital in September 2010, nine days after giving birth to the couple's first child Dior at Sligo Regional Hospital.

Sally Rowlette (36) died in the Sligo hospital in February 2013, the day after she gave birth to the couple's fourth child.

Both Ms Kivlehan and Ms Rowlette had Hellp syndrome, a condition associated with pre-eclampsia. In both cases verdicts of medical misadventure were returned.

The clinical director of the National Maternity Hospital, Dr Peter Boylan, who gave evidence at the two inquests, highlighted a number of failings in each case.

These included a delay in treating Ms Rowlette’s blood pressure and the lack of a consultant to monitor her condition in the ICU (intensive care unit) and in the case of Ms Kivlehan a delay in transferring her to a specialist centre.

Mr Kivlehan has said he feels “that if the inquest into Dhara’s death had happened faster, Sligo hospital would have known how to deal with Sally’s case. But it took four years for them to realise what had gone wrong.”

The men hope to highlight practical issues such as the need for counselling, and the stress of having to wait for years for an inquest.

Both men have said they are often contacted by worried parents about the safety of having a child at the hospital, and want some reassurance for those people.

“This not just about me and Seán,” said Mr Kivlehan. “It is about reassuring all the ladies out there, and their partners, that they will be safe when they go into hospital to have their babies.”

Mr Kivlehan and Mr Rowlette are due to meet with Minister Varadkar at 4pm on Monday.