Hospice: Extend medical card issue

Children with life-limiting illness should get medical cards, as well as those with cancer, the Irish Hospice Foundation has urged.

It was confirmed yesterday that children diagnosed with cancer will get a free medical card for five years.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar said giving medical cards automatically to children with a cancer diagnosis meant their parents could focus on treatment and care.

The announcement of the change in medical card eligibility coincided with the start of free GP care for under-6s.

Irish Hospice chief executive Sharon Foley welcomed the move, describing it as a compassionate approach.

However, she said all children under 18 with life- limiting illness should get a medical card.

There are children living with life-limiting illness is 3,840, almost three times the previous estimate.

Every Life Counts, which is is campaigning to have perinatal hospice care provided in every maternity unit in the country, also wants the medical card to be given to all children with life- limiting illnesses.

The support and advocacy group’s spokeswoman, Tracy Harkin, said parents with children with life-limiting conditions were pouring a lifetime of love into the hours or days they had with their babies.

“The last thing parents should have to worry about at this time is finance. At the worst of times we should have the best of care available,” said Ms Harkin.

Her daughter Kathleeen Rose is eight and has Trisomy 13, a condition that is life-limiting. She does not have a medical card.

“Our support and sympathy for families faced with a poor or life limiting condition should also include practical loving assistance,” said Ms Harkin. “The availability of medical cards should form a basic part of that and would make a huge difference to families.”