Vol. 491 No. 6
187 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health and Children if additional support is available outside of the normal social welfare benefits for women diagnosed with hepatitis C; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13056/98]
A range of primary and secondary care services are available without charge to persons who contracted hepatitis C as a result of a blood or blood product transfusion.
In the case of such persons, the Health (Amendment) Act, 1996, provides statutory entitlement to a range of primary health care services. The services in place include general practitioner services, home nursing, dental and ophthalmic services, home help and counselling support as well as drugs and medicines. Each health board has appointed a liaison officer to ensure the smooth operation of the delivery of services under the Act, and to act as a contact point for individuals and for the various interest groups whose members avail of services under the Act. My Department maintains contact with the representative organisations and the health board liaison officers to ensure that any issues which arise in relation to services provision can be tackled quickly and effectively.
In relation to secondary care services, treatment for those who contracted hepatitis C from the receipt of blood or blood products is being provided at special consultant staffed clinics at six designated hospitals: Beaumont Hospital, the Mater Hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital and St. James's Hospital in Dublin, Cork University Hospital and University College Hospital, Galway.
These services, provided under the Health Act, 1970, are free of charge and include access to both in-patient and out-patient treatment, as required. Special funding has been, and will continue to be, provided by my Department for these services to ensure that the needs of hepatitis C patients are met.
I have initiated a review of services for hepatitis C sufferers. The detailed arrangements for this review are being progressed by the consultative council on hepatitis C.
The hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal, which was established on a statutory basis under the Hepatitis C Tribunal Act, 1997, provides a nonadversarial, informal and flexible forum for the hearing of compensation claims. Compensation awarded to persons who have contracted hepatitis C are disregarded in the assessment of means for social welfare purposes.
