Family doctors at their AGM in Galway have accused the political parties of "dishing out" the medical card to get votes, instead of reforming the medical card scheme.
Doctors called for free medical care to be available on the basis of need, and criticised the extension of the scheme to the over 70s at the expense of low income families.
Meanwhile, a new report that shows the health risks facing more than a third of Tallaght's population who do not have private health insurance or are not eligible for a Medical Card is independent evidence of the two-tier health service, Sinn Féin Councillor Seán Crowe said today.
The report, People Living in Tallaght and Their Health, was commissioned by the Adelaide Hospital Society and carried out by Trinity College Dublin among 1300 people in 420 households.
The report found that there are "high levels of chronic illness and disability" in the area. It said that because one in three people either do not have private health insurance or cannot get a Medical Card, "a sizeable vulnerable minority are dependent on the public services or their own financial sources for health care".
Sinn Féin is campaigning for the extension of the Medical Card to people on the minimum wage and everyone under 18 in full-time education and a single waiting list that ensures access to treatment on the basis of need.
