Monica Barnes
Ceist:62 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Health and Children the preparations and actions his Department, State agencies and health boards have taken to provide for the health needs of immigrants. [5507/01]
Written Answers. - Immigrants' Health Needs.
The healthcare of immigrants is addressed in the context of general arrangements governing eligibility for public health services. Under the Health Act, 1970, entitlement to health services is primarily based on residence and means. Any person regardless of nationality, who is accepted by the health boards as being ordinarily resident in Ireland is entitled to either full eligibility – category 1, that is, medical card holders – or limited eligibility – category 2 – for health services. Health boards normally regard a person as ordinarily resident in Ireland if he or she satisfies the health board that it is his or her intention to remain in Ireland for a minimum period of one year.
Persons in category 1 are medical card holders and they are entitled to a full range of services including general practitioners services, prescribed drugs and medicines, all in-patient public hospital services in public wards including consultant services, all out-patient public hospital services including consultant services, dental, ophthalmic and aural services and appliances and a maternity and infant care service.
Persons in category 2 – non-medical card holders – are entitled, subject to certain charges, to all in-patient public hospital services in public wards, including consultant services and out-patient public hospital services including consultant services. Dental and routine ophthalmic and aural services are excluded from out-patient services available. However, such treatment is provided to children who have been referred from a child health clinic or a school health examination.
In discharging its international obligations, my Department, through the health boards, provides for the healthcare of asylum seekers. The arrangements in place are not, however, subject to residency and means criteria and such persons may avail of public health services on the same basis as medical card holders, while awaiting a decision on an application to remain in this country. As part of the initial reception process for asylum seekers, communicable disease screening is offered on a voluntary basis to such persons during their stay at reception centres in Dublin. This service is offered in the interests of the asylum seekers themselves, their families and the community generally. The uptake for the service is approximately 73% and efforts continue to achieve further improvement in uptake. The health boards in other parts of the country have also been asked to ensure that screening is offered to asylum seekers accommodated in their area and who have not availed of screening during their stay in Dublin. Other actions being taken by health boards in relation to the provision of medical services to asylum seekers, include arrangements for GP's to have access to translation services as necessary.