By Donal McMahon
A border council in Northern Ireland is calling for medical hair loss patients to be given the same financial support as people in the Republic.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) is requesting the Department of Health to replicate the PRSI (pay related social insurance) scheme in the south of Ireland.
The scheme provides funding to patients who have lost their hair through illness including cancer treatment and alopecia in order to pay for wigs.
Slieve Gullion Sinn Fein rep, Aoife Finnegan, brought a motion forward at the recent full council meeting, as patients in Northern Ireland are forced to pay “astounding” costs for their own hair piece.
She said: “As someone who lives and works in a border community, this further highlights the nonsensical nature of of partition, that patients living just minutes away from each other cannot access the same equality of health care.
“It’s important that men and women in the North have the same sense of dignity and equality of care that is offered to those in the South so they can live their lives comfortably and confidently.”
Mournes Alliance rep, Jill Truesdale added: “I think this is a brilliant motion and I speak to it from personal experience.
“I went through, with a close female friend who went through cancer treatment and until this hits you, you don’t realise the logistics in place.
“I couldn’t believe she had to fund her own hair piece, I just couldn’t believe the prices that were being quoted. It was absolutely astounding to me. And also my brother, lost every hair on his head overnight after a motorbike accident, so he has alopecia, so I thank you very much for bringing this motion.”
The real life evidence of the two different medical systems was further highlighted in the chamber.
Slieve Gullion SDLP councillor, Pete Byrne said: “Coming from the DEA of Slieve Gullion we see the benefits that some people are getting from the South, because our parish straddles the border.
“We see people going through various treatments whether it is cancer, alopecia or stress related incidents.
“I have a very good friend who lost all the hair on his body in the last couple of months and the affect that it has on him. And he is looking for some support, when there is next to no support unless you meet certain benefit requirements, which he doesn’t.
“And that is where the scheme in the South is very good, because all you have to do is meet the medical requirements and then it s goes on your PRSI contributions.
“The difficulty is that the people across our parish, some are getting support and others aren’t and we need to have some unified approach to this.
“It is very difficult. We need to see some sort of collaboration across this island for support for things like this.”
ENDS
CLANRYE NEWS 