asked the Minister for Health if he will take steps to ensure that the Dublin Health Authority supplies surgical boots free of charge on a medical prescription to a person (name supplied) whose application for such has been refused.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Supply of Surgical Boots.
22.
Mr. Ryan
From inquiries which I have made from the Dublin Health Authority, I understand that this person's application for surgical boots has not been refused.
The procedure for the supply of a surgical appliance in a case such as this is that the person concerned is referred by his local district medical officer to a clinic where he is seen by an orthopaedic specialist. It is necessary to do this to ensure that the correct type and size of appliance is supplied. In the case referred to by the Deputy the procedure and the reason for it were carefully explained, in writing, to the person concerned by the health authority as long ago as July last. Instead of following the procedure laid down, however, he appears to have done nothing about the matter for several months and then he wrote to me a letter of complaint against the health authority. I took up the question with the authority and, as a result, and despite the utter lack of co-operation on the part of the applicant, they took the exceptional step of arranging, direct, an appointment for him with an orthopaedic specialist on a day last week. He did not keep this appointment. I understand that the health authority are willing to arrange another such appointment and that, despite the difficulties he is creating, they are still prepared to continue to go out of their way to facilitate him.
There is no question of a charge being made in this case as the person concerned is in the lower income group.