A MAN who is quadriplegic and wheelchair-bound as a result of a rare illness is seeking court orders requiring the HSE to pay for medical treatment being undergone by him in Germany.
Paul Flood would have to be fully institutionalised to receive similar treatment in Ireland and the treatment here would cost more than in Germany, the High Court was told.
Mr Flood (55), with an address in Dublin but living in Germany for the purpose of medical treatment, lost motor function after developing a rare genetic condition affecting his brain stem. He has very limited use of his arms and hands and requires regular blood monitoring.
He was diagnosed with the condition after being taken to hospital while on holiday in Germany in 2002 and since then has received medical treatment in Germany paid for by the HSE.
On November 25th last he was informed by the HSE that the funding was to be cut by 83 per cent and he would receive €2,500 over a three-month period towards his medical costs. He says the cost of the services in Germany is €60,000-€75,000 a year.
Mr Flood, who worked in TV and media prior to his illness, secured leave from Mr Justice Michael Peart to bring judicial review proceedings challenging the HSE decision which, he said, had greatly distressed him. The leave application was made on an ex parte (one side only) basis and the matter was returned to next month.
Mr Flood claims the HSE had provided no rationale for the decision and doctors in Germany were concerned Mr Flood was not covered in the event of an emergency.
Frank Callanan SC, for Mr Flood, said that since contracting the condition, Mr Flood had been living in Germany with his partner and was receiving medical treatment there which, under EU law, was paid for by the HSE.
To get similar treatment here would involve Mr Flood being fully institutionalised, counsel said. It would cost the State more to provide treatment for Mr Flood here than in Germany, counsel added. Mr Flood wants orders requiring the HSE to provide funding to the relevant German authority for medical services and therapy.