Madam, - I read with disbelief your report of September 27th that the Department of Health and the HSE are considering raising the threshold for reimbursement of expenditure under the Drug Payment Scheme from €95 to €105 in order to generate savings of €30 million to €40 million.
This scheme already unfairly discriminates against single people, who have to pay exactly the same amount a month as entire families.
It is outrageous that people with chronic medical conditions requiring medication for life, who may be retired early from work on health grounds and accordingly not in receipt of full pensions, should be so penalised. To make matters worse, medical cards may no longer be issued to them automatically at the age of 70, according to your report.
Why not, instead, exclude the super-rich of our society, who do not need such concessions, from the medical card scheme altogether - or at least until they reach a more advanced age? It is not appropriate in the present economic climate that all should be treated equally in this respect, regardless of means. - Yours, etc,
Dr BRENDA O'HANRAHAN,
Park Lane,
Dublin 4.
Madam, - Last Friday morning I booked 22 patients into my Monday morning 'flu vaccine clinic.
Some of these patients are in the 50-65 year age group, as we had been informed by the HSE that this age group was to be vaccinated free this year. The area in which I work - Mervue, Galway - is affected by the recent lead contamination of water supplies. It is a deprived area with a large elderly population and consequently many health problems.
On the same day, I was astounded to hear on the one o'clock news that the HSE had decided to withdraw its own recommended vaccination of this age group. It beggars belief that this is how those in primary care were informed. The HSE has turned its back on the weakest and most voiceless people in our society.
Minister for Social Affairs Mary Hanafin has said that, whatever happens to the economy, the vulnerable will be protected.
I find no evidence of this. - Yours, etc,
EMER O'BYRNE,
Irish Practice Nurse Association,
Father Griffin Road,
Galway.