Dr. Sam Coulter Smith, the master for the Rotunda Maternity hospital in Dublin, has claimed that he was forced to terminate four pregnancies in the past year in order to save the lives of the women involved.

The doctor stated that the women had been diagnosed with sepsis, a bacterial infection of the bloodstream and body tissues, according to the Irish Independent. In all of the cases, the foetus was less than 23 weeks old.

While addressing the IMO AGM, Dr Coulter Smith went on to stress the need for monitoring and having decision-making processes in place to deal with difficult situations, like life-threatening infections. The IMO AGM examined medical ethical dilemmas in caring for the mothers and unborn child.

Dr. Coulter Smith currently works as Master for Maternity in Rotunda Hospital

The doctor also maintained that he did not consider termination to be a treatment for mental health issues and that legislation should not mention suicide, however he did stress that if legalised in certain circumstances, it should not be specific to any particular medical condition.

Dr. Coulter Smith commented: "We need clarity in these difficult cases and legislation is important. We need the freedom to do the right thing for the patient at the right time."