€850 bill for preterm baby’s stay in care unit

A woman whose medical card is under review had been hit with a bill for €850 for additional nights her premature baby spent in a special care unit, delegates attending the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation annual conference heard.

Waterford-based public health nurse Mary Leahy said the baby had effectively “been penalised for being born early” because his mother had lost her medical card entitlements while the review was under way.

Ms Leahy said the woman’s baby had been born extremely prematurely, weighing just 1.5kg, and had spent weeks in the special baby care unit.