Rejection of dental care slammed by TDs
THE apparent refusal of essential dental care to vulnerable, sick and elderly patients in Drogheda because of the Covid 19 pandemic has been slammed by local TDs.
Deputy Ged Nash has urgently called on the Minister for Health to respond to reports of local dental practices refusing medical cardholders essential treatment due to social distancing and PPE costs.
“I have recently been contacted by a number of concerned constituents who have been refused dental care at their regular practice due to their medical card status, and were told they could only continue to avail of treatment as a private patient,” said Deputy Nash.“In short, their dental practice claimed that ‘ they can no longer accept medical cards as a form of payment at the practice’ as due to ‘new social distancing rules and additional PEE, it no longer covers our cost.’
He said this has left a number of vulnerable patients in the lurch scrambling to find another dental service or scrap together money for expensive treatments at a time when incomes are already stretched.
“The cases raised with me involve patients with a number of conditions – such as diabetes, arthritis and Ehler Danlos syndrome – which require ongoing care, including regularly dental treatment,” said the Labour representative.“This yet again highlights Fine Gael’s ideological stance to provide medical care on the basis of one’s income, rather on the basis of a person’s medical need as is the norm in every other EU country bar Ireland.
Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd added it is unacceptable that any professional dentist would refuse to treat public patients because of the cost of personal protective equipment, PPE, or any possible dispute they are having with the HSE or the Department of Health.
“I have been informed they cannot get any other appointment with this dentist who is cutting them off immediately even though they are obliged to provide them with three months service after they terminate their contract. This has to be stopped immediately. People are entitled to be treated as human beings,” said Deputy O’Dowd. “I absolutely reject the treatment this dentist is meting out to medical card holders.”