Sir, – New figures from the Central Statistics Office reveal that nearly a quarter of the population (23 per cent) have no healthcare cover either through medical card or private insurance. And nearly half of those (43 per cent) made no visits to GP in that period. Previous research has shown that a large proportion of people with no healthcare cover do not access GP care because of the cost.
This is extremely worrying – and as the financial crisis looks set to continue, is something we need to take very seriously. That crisis is not only a national one, but an individual one, with people facing daily choices about what they can afford. It’s 2011, and no one in Ireland should ever have to stop themselves accessing essential healthcare because they can’t afford it.
We know there are significant plans from the Government to base access to healthcare on need and not on income. This is a welcome opportunity to redesign how we care for people in this country when they get sick. So right now we have a once in a lifetime chance to get our healthcare system right, to ensure everyone’s human rights are protected – including the most vulnerable within society.
There is no protection for the right to health in the Irish Constitution or legislation. The current legislation is falling short in ensuring people can access healthcare on an equal basis.
And with each passing day people continue to deal with a healthcare service that does not meet their needs.
Amnesty International Ireland is campaigning for the Government to commit to an individual legal guarantee of equal access to essential healthcare, no matter who you are or what you can afford.
We call on individuals to support our call for a fairer healthcare system, one based on equality rather than how much you can afford. They can do so by signing our petition calling on Minister for Health James Reilly to put human rights at the heart of healthcare reform at the amnesty.ie/health website. – Yours, etc,