Apr 27 2005
Australian Medical Association President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that the Government's speculated Budget cut to IVF treatment is a callous attack on the dreams of hopeful women and families, which further diminishes the Government's health credentials.
Dr Glasson said coming so soon after the broken promise on the Medicare safety net, the Government's hard-won credibility on health policy is crumbling.
"The Government is making health policy on the run on the advice of Treasury bureaucrats ahead of the May Budget, and it shows," Dr Glasson said.
"The IVF decision defies commonsense as it will harm a vulnerable section of the community for a reported paltry Budget saving of $7 million a year.
"People do not undertake IVF treatments lightly. It is a highly emotional and expensive decision that sets women and families on an uncertain path to a cherished dream – a child or children denied them by other methods.
"There is no place for misguided Government intervention and penny-pinching in this important doctor-patient relationship. Every IVF patient has individual situations, circumstances and needs but one thing they do have in common is a desperate desire to have a child.
"The Government's decision fails any test of equity, fairness or compassion and must be ditched immediately."
Dr Glasson said it was only a few weeks ago that Treasurer Peter Costello was photographed in the papers surrounded by babies and proclaiming a baby boom.
"Now the Treasurer is being discriminatory on who should be part of that baby boom – on miserly Treasury advice and generalisations about the number and nature of IVF cycles without a thought for a patient's individual circumstances or condition.
"If the Treasurer goes ahead with his IVF budget cuts, women and families with hopes of a miracle baby in the pumpkin patch have another threat to their dreams – Peter, Peter, the pumpkin eater," Dr Glasson said.
http://www.ama.com.au
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