The Midland Health Board has established an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 16-month-old boy from meningitis, within hours of being sent home from the Longford-Westmeath Hospital in Mullingar.
Cormac Nevin from Longford town was taken to the A&E unit at 12.10 a.m. on Monday by his parents. After tests, he was discharged at 3.15 a.m.
Within hours his condition had deteriorated and he was returned to the unit at 9 a.m. He died at 12.25 p.m. The health board, in a statement, said none of the tests carried out on the child when he first attended indicated he was suffering from meningitis.
However, it said, the child's care would be reviewed. When he presented the second time it was planned to transfer him to Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin "but tragically the infant's condition worsened and he died prior to transfer". A post-mortem is to take place.
The health board conveyed its sincere sympathy to the boy's family. The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, also extended sympathy to the Nevin family on the "terrible tragedy" and said an inquiry would have to take place.
"There are protocols surrounding how children, particularly children presenting with suspected meningitis, should be treated, and we have to ascertain whether protocols were followed," he said.