The "children's medical card" must take priority in Budget 2003, according to Children's Rights Alliance. The organisation has called on the Minister for Finance to fulfil a Government commitment to extend medical-card eligibility to tens of thousands of low-income children.
The CRA yesterday reminded the Government of its promise to extend cover for an additional 200,000 low-income people in 2003. This followed indications that the Government might break its promise due to its difficult economic position.
The commitment to implement the extension of medical-card coverage is a key provision of the Health Strategy. The CRA said there had already been a one-year delay of the extension announced last year.
"We need to extend medical-card coverage to more children because it will improve their health," said Mr Raymond Dooley, CRA chief executive.
He stressed that access to primary healthcare for children was constrained by financial factors, "Too often the decision to see the doctor or to obtain prescribed treatment is made on the basis of financial considerations. Removing the issue of affordability will eliminate a major obstacle to equal access to healthcare for children," he said.
The chief medical officer of the Department of Health and Children, Dr Jim Kiely, had called for the introduction of universal medical-card coverage for children, Mr Dooley pointed out.
He claimed that children's healthcare rights were currently being violated by "a barrier to treatment". This was incompatible with the first two goals of the strategy, better health for everyone and equal access.
The Department of Finance should see proper access to medical care for children as an important cost-saving measure and as an investment in the future growth and development of Ireland.
The Labour Party spokeswoman on health, Ms Liz McManus, has described the suggestion that the promised extension of the medical-card scheme might not proceed as planned as "a despicable betrayal" of the Irish people who had hoped to benefit from the National Health Strategy.
"This decision shows that families on low incomes who simply cannot access adequate primary healthcare for financial reasons do not figure on the priority list of Minister Martin and this Government, and that they are the first to suffer when the belt-tightening of Champagne Charlie begins," she said.