100,000 less people have free healthcare

THE number of people with access to free medical care has dropped by almost 100,000 since the Coalition came to power.

The situation was branded a “disgrace” yesterday by the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), which called on the Government to deliver on its 2001 election pledge to make 200,000 extra people eligible.

IMO GP Committee chairman Dr Martin Daly said because of the low income threshold necessary to qualify for a medical card, many patients were being forced into the black economy.

“People on social welfare are eligible even though they may be far better off than someone on minimum wage,” he said.

The number of people with access to medical cards fell by 10,602 last year. Between 1997 and the end of 2003 the number of those qualifying dropped by 94,242.

So far this year, more than 3,000 people have been denied access to the scheme.

The chief officer of the General Medical Services (Payments) Board, Paddy Bourke, said last year’s fall in the numbers of those eligible was due largely to the review of its lists which included patients who had died.