An inquiry into the death of a woman following the birth of twins at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda has still not been completed, almost a year after her death.
Tania McCabe (34) died at the hospital on March 9th last year. One of her twins also died.
Following her death, the Health Service Executive (HSE) set up an inquiry team to examine all the circumstances surrounding her death and the death of her infant son, Zach.
Asked this week why the report into her death had never been published, a spokeswoman for the HSE northeast region confirmed the inquiry still wasn't complete.
"We would hope to have the report complete within the next four to five weeks," she said.
Asked how the inquiry could take so long, she said: "It is a complex report and deserves the time it has been given."
The Irish Times reported last year that Mrs McCabe had presented at the hospital on March 6th, a few days before the infants were born, claiming her waters had broken. She had abdominal pain and was kept in hospital overnight.
It is understood tests did not confirm her belief that her waters had broken and she was given a prescription for antibiotics, told she had a kidney infection, and sent home the next day, March 7th.
She returned to the hospital the following day, March 8th, when pain persisted. When she was examined, she was already well into her labour and was rushed to theatre for an emergency Caesarean section. Her twin boys were delivered and one died shortly afterwards.
Mrs McCabe bled heavily after her Caesarean section and died early the next morning, March 9th.
It is understood she also had a serious infection at the time of her death. The HSE has said the inquiry will look at all aspects of her care.
The inquiry team is chaired by Dr Seosamh Ó Coigligh, a consultant obstetrician at the Lourdes hospital.