The Health Service Executive is investigating after the body of a deceased patient was given to the wrong family at Regional Hospital Mullingar, Co Westmeath.
Chief Operations Officer of the HSE, Anne O'Connor, confirmed the investigation has begun.
"It's an important and critical thing for us so we would hope the policies and procedures in place would ensure that doesn't happen anywhere else," she said.
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The hospital said the incorrect remains were released to an undertaker from the hospital mortuary on Friday April 24.
"Following detection, the mistake was rectified," the hospital added.
"We would like to offer our condolences to the families and sincerely apologise for the distress this has caused during this difficult time," it said.
It is understood a person had died from coronavirus but the remains released to their family for burial, were those of another deceased patient.
Hospital staff noticed the error before the funeral service took place.
