Sir, – The proposal to give a medical card to every child under five (Home News, September 20th) is simply a vote-buying exercise for Fine Gael. The measure will pour several million euro into the most well-off communities in the State, and should not be supported by the Labour Party in Government.
I am a GP in the Ringsend and Irishtown area of Dublin, a proud working class area. Most of my patients with young children already have medical cards, so this initiative will not provide any new resources into this area. In leafier suburbs, however, better off families will find their younger children handed free GP care which they do not need, while the rest of the family continues to rely on private health insurance.
Meanwhile, many thousands of families are just above the income limits for a medical card or GP visit card. Limits are currently quite strictly enforced to control costs. These families struggle with healthcare costs and often delay or avoid necessary medical care because they are caught between the guideline income limits and their diminishing resources. Surely Labour in Government should be more concerned about these families regardless of their children’s ages?
The most fair approach to increasing access to free GP care is to progressively raise the income limits for a medical card, improving access for hard-pressed families on the basis of need. This way, support is placed where it is most needed, in areas which do not have the safety net of private healthcare. – Yours, etc,
Dr TONY O’SULLIVAN,
GP, Irishtown & Ringsend
Primary Care Centre,
Irishtown Road,
Dublin 4.