Sir, – Paul Cullen's analysis (Home News, October 31st) of the current HSE medical card PR campaign and Muiris Houston's article (Opinion, October 30th) on the same topic are very welcome.
The farcical publicity drive underway from the HSE, to inform and reassure people about the current “discretionary” medical card fiasco, is fooling no-one. Reassurances about “eligibility” are being tossed around as if eligibility is not something upon which a deliberate decision is made, by civil servants on our behalf.
Means-tested income is one basis for eligibility, but so is need. Parents’ and carers’ heartfelt efforts on behalf of their children and family members with serious enduring conditions and health needs are being swept aside as “political” manoeuvring. How distasteful!
The only political thuggery is keeping the masses who have children without serious medical conditions apparently happy by offering their children free GP care, while at the same time taking away medical cards from those who need them most. Universal access to primary care for all is a policy I support, but not as a meaningless token while slashing services with the other hand.
The universal five-and-under GP access was dressed up on Budget night as representing that we “cherish all our children equally”.
This smug nonsense hides the fact children have different needs. They require different levels of support and resources. This “capabilities approach” to human development, from economist Amartya Sen, and philosopher Martha Nussbaum is internationally recognised and used to enhance and measure human development, including within the UN Development Programme.
Real opportunities for all require different sets of resources for some, and it is a shame that those left to fight day-in, day-out for services for their loved ones are patronised and undermined. As an Irish citizen I am ashamed to stand over and participate in this. – Yours, etc,
ANNE MATTHEWS,
Elm Mount Road,
Beaumont, Dublin 9.